


She Will Be Loved

by gabby227



Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Cutting, Depression, Elena Gilbert & Damon Salvatore Friendship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Foster Care, Mentions of Damon Salvatore/Katherine Pierce, Minor Caroline Forbes/Tyler Lockwood, Nightmares, Past Abuse, Past Domestic Violence, Physical Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scars, Self-Harm, Self-Mutilation, Slow Build, Suicide Attempt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-26
Updated: 2015-08-23
Packaged: 2018-02-27 01:35:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 28
Words: 78,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2674007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gabby227/pseuds/gabby227
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU/AH. Caroline has never felt safe, Damon has never felt love. Can they fill in what the other person is missing?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is in progress. It's a very personal story to me, based on a lot of things I went through as a teenager. Comments/con crit/kudos would actually mean a lot to me because of how personal this story is to me. It's probably going to be a lot of time between posts because I want this story to be perfect because of how personal it is, and I have no beta right now. Also, if it needs any other tags, please let me know. If there is anything I need to warn for, please let me know. I'm not fully adjusted to posting here on AO3 just yet so I'm having a hard time thinking of all the tags & warnings I need to use, so help in that department would really be, well, helpful.

Safe.

It was a small word, a simple word, but as she looked back on her whole life, Caroline Forbes had never felt safe.

The house she grew up in as a child was _never_ safe. If she could go back in time, she would tell fifteen year old Caroline that someday, she was going to find someplace to feel safe, and somebody who actually loved her. Of course, if she had gone back in time, she would have to resist the urge to punch her father in the face. Of course, he wasn't her _real_ father anyway; her real parents were long gone. After Liz and Bill Forbes had died, Caroline had been catapulted into another world.

It was a darker world; a more cruel world. It was a world in which she would never be safe. It was a world where she would cry herself to sleep at night on the cold hard floor, and where she would learn to hate everything that she ever was. It didn't matter what it was; too fat, too thin, too smart, too stupid - she could never be what people wanted her to be, and for that, they found a way to tear her down.

Sometimes she'd try to make herself feel better by telling herself that if her life was now this bad, the future would be better. She was going through this hell for some reason - there just _had_ to be a reason.

It all goes back to that word: safe. Even now, as a twenty-two year old who had a good job as a fashion designer in Richmond, Virginia, she still didn't feel safe.

Caroline practically had the world. She had the money, she had the success, she had the friends. She had everything anybody could ever want.

She still wasn't happy. There was a big hole inside of her that got bigger every day. She looked at her best friends Bonnie and Elena, and right away, she was envious of them. Bonnie and Elena were probably the best things to ever come out of her life - they had helped her all they could, and had always kept in touch with her, but Caroline envied the relationship that they had. Elena had been steady with the same guy, Stefan Salvatore, since high school, and Bonnie had been with Jeremy, Elena's brother, for almost as long. Yes, Caroline thought they had the perfect lives.

-x-

Love.

It was a word that had been used countless times, but never for him. His first love, his true love, Katherine, had used him up and spit him out. She had come between Damon and his brother, and then, after spewing some _I love you both_ crap, she left him with his heart in little pieces. Since Katherine left, Damon had a really hard time connecting with people - after her, there was Andie and Rose, both of whom left because he had too much emotional baggage - they just couldn't deal with it.

He saw the way his little brother looked at Elena Gilbert. They were the perfect couple, a match made in heaven. They complimented each other very well. He also saw that Bonnie Bennett and Jeremy Gilbert had something going on. Now, Damon wasn't a very big fan of Bonnie, but he knew one thing - she had love and he didn't. Sometimes he wondered if his dad had even loved him. They had clashed on so many levels that it wouldn't surprise Damon at all if he had hated him. All Damon Salvatore wanted was for someone to love him as much as he could love them.

Instead of looking for someone to dedicate his life to, he started pushing people away. After Katherine came along, things were different. They were tainted. He had to wonder what it would be like she hadn't ruined him the way she did. He was just an insecure, bourbon drinking mess. Sure, it seemed like he had it all together - he owned the local hangout, the Mystic Grill, and on the surface, he looked and acted like a normal, well adjusted guy. Underneath it all, though, he had one motto: drink your problems away. And that seemed to be all he did lately.

However, unknown to both Caroline _and_ Damon, their lives were about to change drastically.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena, Stefan, Bonnie, Jeremy and their friend Matt Donovan were sitting in the middle of the parlor in the Salvatore boarding house, where Stefan and Damon grew up, trying to figure out a way to get Damon out of the slump he was in.

"I don't think he'll fall for anything," Jeremy stated, and Stefan shook his head.

"I know, Jer, but he's driving me crazy. He sits up in his room, drinking and moping. Well, every once in a while he checks in at the Grill, but everyone knows that he drinks there, too. He eats, but doesn't do much else. We've gotta figure out a way to get him back out there."

"Did you hear who moved to Richmond recently? Well, it's more like moved back..." Elena's voice trailed off when she looked up and saw everyone staring at her. "What? This pertains to the conversation, I swear."

After a moment of silence, Bonnie said, "Okay, I'll bite. Who?"

"Caroline."

"I bet her relationship with Tyler finally deteriorated," Matt said, speaking up for the first time. "I know that we used to be friends in high school, but seriously, that guy was such a douche."

They all nodded in agreement, but Elena spoke up, "She loved him."

"So she chose Richmond over Mystic Falls?" Stefan asked, almost sounding hurt.

"Yeah. She spent a good amount of her life in Richmond, remember? The last foster family she had, the Mikaelsons, remember them? They still live there and they're practically the only family she has."

"How does this pertain to the conversation, exactly?" Jeremy asked. He was used to his sister's ramblings, but he still wanted to know.

"Well, it's just that Damon's alone, and Caroline only lives a couple of hours away, and she's alone, too."

When everybody had gone quiet, Elena said, "I think we should try to set them up. I mean, she just opened that boutique in Richmond. I bet we could get Damon up there if we tried."

"And tell him what? That he needs a new suit?" Stefan asked sarcastically. 

"Actually, yes," Elena said, matter-of-factly. "I mean, there's that founder's party next Saturday, and -"

"Stop right there, Elena," Stefan said after a moment. "He's got a ton of suits."

Elena made a face, "C'mon, guys, we've gotta try. Bonnie, clear your schedule tomorrow. We're taking Damon to get a new suit."

-x-

The next morning, Damon awoke to his curtains being yanked open. He groaned and covered his head with his blanket.

"C'mon, Damon, rise and shine," Elena said, in her best sing-song voice. "We've got stuff to do today."

"Today's my day off, Elena," Damon said from underneath his blanket. "I don't have to do jack shit today."

"Damon," Elena said, yanking the blanket off of him in one swift motion, "Everybody knows that you don't have to go to work if you don't want to. Besides, Bonnie and I are going to take you up to a boutique in Richmond. You need a new suit."

"A new suit? Really? I've got at least 10 good ones I can wear to that thing on Saturday."

"What thing?" Elena decided that it was best to play dumb so Damon didn't know what she was up to.

"Oh, come on, Elena," Damon said, taking her hint and sitting up, "This is all about that founder's party next Saturday. You want me to get out there and find my one true love, like you and my brother did. News flash: I don't have a soul mate. No true love for me."

"Damon, you've only been with three girls -"

"No, I've only been _serious_ about three different girls. I've been with a lot more."

" - and a little drive won't kill you."

"It's not a little drive, Elena. Richmond is almost two hours away from here."

"C'mon, Damon, think of it as an adventure." Elena got into his dresser and threw some clothes his way. "You can even drive."

Damon thought about it for a moment before saying, "Fine. But Judgey better not antagonize me. I'm not in the fucking mood for that bullshit."

Elena nodded, "Bonnie will be civil, I promise."

-x-

The day had been moving slowly for Caroline. Part of her just wanted to close up shop and go home early, but what was there to go home to? Other than her dog, Lizzie, it was just an empty house. Well, okay, Caroline's older brother Klaus lived there, but still...it was practically nothing. She didn't even really go out anymore. Even though the abuse had happened years ago, Caroline still lived it. She dreamt about it, she had very vivid flashbacks to where she was living the abuse all over again. She even still had the scars to prove it.

But what had everybody told her? She was strong. She survived, so that made her strong, right? After being beaten, raped, used and tortured, she was still standing, and living her life as normally as she could. Just because she lived practically alone didn't mean she didn't live as safely as she could. Even with her state of the art burglar alarm and her German shepherd who protected her fiercely, Caroline didn't feel safe. Even with Klaus living in the room across the hall from hers, with him being a freaking Marine, didn't make her feel safe. However, she couldn't take the chance. After her breakup with Tyler Lockwood a few years back, Caroline didn't want to take any chances.

_  
"What have I done for you in the past, Care? I've protected you. You're nothing without me."_

_Caroline watched Tyler closely as she stood in the kitchen, "I need to be on my own, Ty. I need to be my own person."_

_"I can give you that. Remember, I told you, if you chose me, I'd give you the whole fucking world."_

_"But it's not just me, is it, Ty?" Caroline was starting to get a little bolder, although s he wasn't exactly sure where this boldness was coming from. "I know you've been fucking every girl that you can get your filthy hands on. And I know that you've been fucking Sarah whatshername behind my back."_

_"Do you really believe that?"_

_"Yes, I honestly do. Do you know who I got that piece of information from?"_

_She saw Tyler's normally light brown eyes turn dark, almost to black, as he said, "Sarah told you."_

_"Ding ding ding, we have a winner!" Caroline said sarcastically. She even clapped her hands for enthusiasm. "Yes, Sarah told me that you two were fucking, and if I loved you in any way at all, I'd step out of the picture so she could have you all to herself, because, well," Caroline stuck out her bottom lip for emphasis, "she's just so needy and could really use a guy like you."_

_She felt it before she heard it; Tyler's hand connected with the side of her face, and she flew across the linoleum floor. Her head hit the wall, so she reached up and checked for blood. There was none._

_"I'm done, Ty," Caroline said, after regaining her confidence. "I'm tired of the fights and the lies. I've had it."_

_Caroline went over to where her duffel bag was by the front door, but before she had a chance to leave, Tyler spoke up, "You'll be back. I'll make sure of it."  
_

If asked, Caroline would honestly tell people that she came back to Richmond because that's where the only family she had was. The Mikaelsons, the last family she lived with while she was in the system, had become close to her. Their middle child, Niklaus, had become very fond of Caroline, and after he was discharged from the Marines, Caroline had him come and work for her. Sure, he was just labeled as her assistant, but she felt safer knowing that if there was a problem, no matter how unlikely, he could handle it.

But that wasn't the real reason she moved back to Virginia. No, the reason was that Tyler was still in Chicago, where Caroline had went to fashion school, and she wanted to be away from him. She didn't want to risk running into him.

Shaking away her thoughts, Caroline took a few deep breaths as the bell rang over the boutique door. She looked up and saw Elena and Bonnie, and...was that Damon?

"Oh my God, Elena!" Caroline cried, jumping up and going to hug her best friend. She hadn't seen Elena in years.

"Hey Care," Elena said, hugging her back. "It's good to see you."

"What are you guys even doing here?" Caroline asked, going to hug Bonnie.

"Damon needs a new suit," Elena said, going over to where Caroline left her portfolio books. She opened one and saw the dress that was on the page, "God, Care, these are gorgeous."

Caroline shrugged, "I can help Damon out, I guess. What do you need this suit for, anyway?"

"The founder's party next Saturday," Damon said as Caroline picked up her measuring tape and went over to him.

Damon watched her carefully as she started measuring him. She wrapped her hands around him to measure his waist and he just couldn't resist, "I know you just wanted to touch me."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Seriously, do you think that you're smooth? 'Cause you're not."

She went down to measure his in-seam, which was the length of his thigh, and she heard him chuckle, "Easy with the goods, darling."

"Not your darling."

While Caroline was finishing up measuring Damon, Elena and Bonnie were over, looking at her books, when they saw a man come closer. He was tall and blonde, and he had caught Elena's eye.

"Hi," he said, offering his out for her to shake it. "I'm Niklaus. Call me Klaus."

"Klaus," Elena said, shaking his hand, "I'm Elena."

"Yeah, Caroline's mentioned you. In fact, so has my other family. That would make you Bonnie, right?" He said, looking in Bonnie's direction. She just nodded.

"What are the two of you doing here?" he asked.

"Getting Damon a new suit," Elena answered, nodding in Damon's direction. They saw Damon make another smart ass comment and Caroline poked him with a pin. That made Klaus laugh.

"You know, while we're here, I wouldn't mind a new dress," Bonnie mentioned. "I need a new one for that founder's party."

"Care does high quality work, you know," Klaus said. "I bet she'd be happy to make you one. You know, not that she has a life outside this place."

Elena raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

"Her whole life is this place. She works all the time. She makes a pretty penny, too," he added. "I've known her for almost eight years and she has turned into a real workaholic."

"You're Klaus Mikaelson, aren't you?" Elena said, thoughts clicking in her head, although she wondered why she didn't piece it together when he had said _my family_. "You're the overprotective big brother figure."

He nodded, "Yeah. Caroline was put into my mother's house when I was in Afghanistan, but when I came back on medical leave, she was there and we grew pretty close. I love her like my sister."

"What happened to you?"

"I was hit by shrapnel. It got me in the lower back, and I had to take a few years off. Caroline was always there for me, so I'm just returning the favor."

There was a moment of silence, and Elena noticed that Klaus was staring at Damon. She looked at him, "Something wrong?"

"I know that guy. He looks so familiar."

"You know Damon Salvatore? We're from Mystic Falls."

"Oh yeah. The playboy of Mystical Falls," Klaus rolled his eyes. "I really hate guys like that. The real love 'em and leave 'em type, huh?"

"It's not like that, Klaus," Elena said, but he just gave her a look.

"His reputation precedes him," Klaus said. "I know all about him."

"He's...he was hurt. The love of his life turned out to be a manipulative bitch and she used both him and his brother to get what she wanted. That really fucked him up."

"I guess that could hurt anybody," Klaus said thoughtfully. "Still, he's probably hurting people."

Elena shook her head, "He's afraid to open his heart again. Katherine really did a number on him."

"I understand that," Klaus said, nodding in Caroline's direction. "She's the same way. Tyler...well, he messed her up, too. She's afraid to be with anybody. It's been almost three years since they brolke up and Caroline hasn't been on one single date."

"So tell me, Klaus," Elena said, watching him carefully, "did you do anything to Tyler after he hurt Caroline?"

He shook his head, "No. I was in Iraq. But don't get me wrong, I'd love to do something to him. However, killing him just isn't cruel enough for me. I would really like to see that asshole suffer."

"I know the feeling," Elena agreed. "Yes, I definitely know that feeling."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated the tags, but just in case, I thought I should put another note on this. This is a story about a girl who had nothing in her past. She had nothing but heartbreak and her past is full of abuse, both physical and mental, and she has had no one she could trust so she learned how to be her own shoulder to lean on. There will be flashbacks and mentions of abuse, attempted suicide, self-mutilation (i.e. cutting herself). If any of those things are triggers, I suggest you don't read.

A week passed, and on Friday, Caroline found herself on the front porch of the Gilbert house, ready to ring the doorbell. She actually hadn't been at this house since she had moved to Richmond when she was fourteen, and she had a lot of memories at this house. Elena had been her best friend for as long as she could remember, she had been the one shoulder Caroline could cry on, and the one person that, even though she didn't understand everything that Caroline was going through, she at least tried to understand. Elena had tried to help Caroline through everything that she had ever been through, and that was mostly why she was her best friend.

_C'mon, Caroline,_ she thought to herself. _You can do it. All you have to do is ring the freaking doorbell._

Before she had a chance to ring it, though, the door flew open and Caroline saw Jeremy Gilbert standing there. She smiled weakly, "I, uh, I'm looking for Elena."

Jeremy shook his head, "Elena doesn't really stay here much. She spends most of her time with Stefan. You're welcome to come in, though. Bonnie's making dinner." He stepped aside so Caroline could go through the front door, and she walked into the kitchen, where she saw Bonnie cutting vegetables.

"Hey, Care," Bonnie said, setting down the knife. "Stefan taught me this really neat recipe for homemade spaghetti sauce."

"What're you doing here? I came here expecting find Elena."

"I live here now," Bonnie said, picking up a wooden spoon to stir her sauce. "Elena's usually at the boarding house. She spends most of her time with Stefan."

"Well, I've got your dress in my car. I can go out and get it."

A few moments later, Caroline returned to the kitchen with Bonnie's dress, and she waited patiently while Bonnie tried it on. Caroline smiled when Bonnie came down the stairs, wearing it. The dress was knee length, lilac purple and satin. It was one of Caroline's best pieces, if she did say so herself.

"Purple is really your color, Bon," Caroline said, making sure the dress fit. It fit perfectly.

"Thanks for making the dress, Care. How much do I owe you?"

For a moment, Caroline looked confused, "You don't have to pay me anything. This is just a favor from one friend to another."

"Absolutely not, Caroline. I'm paying you for this, just like I know that Damon's going to pay you for that fancy suit you made him. How are you going to keep business if you're giving away stuff for free?"

"Don't worry about it, Bon," Caroline said nonchalantly. "I do well enough. This is no big deal."

-x-

When Caroline found out that Elena was practically living at the Salvatore boarding house, it made her feel better. Ever since the abuse in the first couple of foster homes she had been in, Caroline was afraid to be alone with guys - any guys at all. One thing she had learned throughout the years was that it didn't matter what the guy said, so much as what he did. Caroline almost felt guilty because she was even scared to be in the same room with Jeremy alone, and this was a guy she'd known practically her entire life. Part of her was angry for everything she'd ever been through - and Caroline had been through a lot. She had learned that the only guy she could depend on was Klaus. He had always helped her out with no ulterior motive. Because of that, she knew a little bit of what it was like to be loved. She wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Klaus.

_  
Klaus limped through the house, looking for Caroline. He was vaguely aware of this girl living in his house, even though he had just gotten back from Afghanistan on medical leave. True, when he was at the VA hospital, his mother had brought Caroline with to visit him from time to time, Klaus still wasn't sure about her. This girl seemed to be an enigma. Sometimes she was just happy and bubbly, and other times, she just wanted to be left alone._

_As he went past the bathroom, he did a double take. There was Caroline, lying on the floor, razor blade in her hand and cuts on her wrist and forearm. He went over to see how deep the cuts were, and he gasped at the depth. She had to have been really determined. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her arm, adding pressure to try to get the bleeding to stop, and then called 911._

_Klaus heard the siren of the ambulance as he knelt beside Caroline, keeping pressure on her wounds, but she had lost a lot of blood. For the first time in a long time, he was genuinely afraid that somebody might die. War does awful things to a person, and while he was away in Afghanistan, he saw people die on an almost daily basis. However, this was not like that._

_They got her to the hospital, and she had required stitches. Of course, they had to put more blood back in her as she had lost quite a lot. Klaus did not leave her side the entire time. After a few days, when she was able to move around again, they had made her a bed in the psychiatric ward of the hospital, and, even though she didn't get up and see anybody, Klaus visited her everyday. Usually he would just chat with the nurses and find out how Caroline was doing. Technically, the nurses weren't supposed to give information to someone who wasn't Caroline's biological family, but Klaus could be very persuasive._

_When she was finally strong enough to go to visitations, Caroline was pretty surprised to see Klaus. He sat there at the table as she came up to him, "What are you doing here?"_

_"I'm checking on you," he stated, matter-of-factly. "I had to make sure you were alright."_

_"I don't understand why you saved me," she said, her gaze fixed on the table in front of her. "You should have just let me die."_

_"I couldn't do that, Caroline. You're so young, and you have so much to live for."_

_Caroline laughed bitterly, "You don't know that."_

_"Can you at least tell me what happened? My mother has been so good to you, so why did you choose to do this now?"_

_Caroline's gaze never left the table as she answered, "Really, it's not a big deal. it's done, it's over with." Her eyes came up to meet Klaus' and she added, "You really shouldn't have saved me."_

_"C'mon, Caroline, you can talk to me. I know that I haven't known you for very long, but I did save your life. You could at least give me an explanation."_

_"You did not save my life; you interrupted my death. I'm not worth it to save. I'm tainted, I'm dirty, and the only thing I actually own is the garbage bag full of clothes that I've towed around from house to house. I don't have a family; I don't have anything."_

_Klaus' eyes darkened as he recognized the words, "Caroline's that's not you talking. It sounds more  
like my sister, Rebekah. She's gotten you to you, hasn't she?"_

_"It's not important," Caroline said, avoiding the subject._

_That's when Klaus took Caroline's hand in his, "Caroline, I know you've been through hell. You've been through way too much to go through any more alone, and I promise you that I'm going to be there for you, to protect you. I'm going to be the big brother you never wanted."_

Klaus had definitely kept his promise. When she started dating Tyler, though, Klaus had been in Iraq. There was nothing he could do there. Besides, Klaus was serving his country and Caroline respected that. Of course, when he got home and found out what had happened between Caroline and Tyler, she had to talk him down. He was ready to find Tyler and beat the shit out of him. Caroline didn't want Klaus' hands dirty over someone so worthless.

Caroline grabbed the suit that was in the back of her car. She went up to the front door of the boarding house and knocked.

Stefan opened the front door, "Caroline, what are you doing here?"

"Wow, Stefan, that sounds kinda rude when you say it like that," Caroline joked. She smiled at him, "I'm here to bring Damon hit suit."

Stefan stepped aside and Caroline stepped inside. She smiled politely at him and headed upstairs.

-x-

By the time she had fitted Damon's suit, Caroline was tired, and in no mood to drive all the way back to Richmond. When Elena suggested that she stay there at the boarding house that night, Caroline decided against her better judgment that she would take her up on her offer.

"I didn't bring any clothes with me, though," Caroline sighed, sitting on Stefan and Elena's bed, watching her best friend dig through her closet. "I don't have anything to wear."

"We're practically the same size," Elena said, taking a moment to look back at Caroline. "I'm looking for something for you to wear."

Caroline nodded, and it went silent, so Elena took this opportunity to say what was on her mind, "Care, I want you to go to the founder's party with me tomorrow."

"Huh?"

"Well, technically, you _are_ from a founding family, so you belong there. It's just a bunch of people from founding families who dress up, drink and dance like they are somebody important. Bonnie and I always go to those parties with Jer and Stefan. Besides, I think it'd be good for you to get out and socialize a little."

There was a moment of silence before Caroline spoke up, "Carol Lockwood is a founding family member, right?"

Elena nodded, not sure where this was going.

"I can't go. Not since my relationship with Tyler..." Caroline's voice faded off.

"Don't worry about that. This is an election year. Carol isn't going to do anything to risk her reputation, I can promise you that. Besides, you are going to that party, even if I have to tie you up, throw you in the trunk of my car and take you there myself."

Caroline looked at her friend, wide-eyed, but did not say anything. She didn't need to; the look on Elena's face told her everything she needed to know. Elena was serious.

"Fine," Caroline said, conceding the point. "But I'm going to need something to wear."


	4. Chapter 4

When Klaus pulled into the driveway of the Salvatore boarding house the next day, Caroline was right by the door, waiting for him. He let Lizzie out and then came up to Caroline, "Hey you."

After pulling him in for a hug, Caroline said, "I'm sorry you had to drive all this way -"

"Don't mention it, Care. It's in my job description."

"So, where's my dress?" she asked, a grin on her face.

"I'll bring it in, hold on." Klaus went outside and pulled a bagged dress out of the back of his car. He handed it to her and Caroline led him through the house and into the parlor, where he was surprised that a bunch of people were waiting for him.

"Um, yeah," Caroline said, scratching an imaginary itch on her forehead, avoiding Klaus' gaze. "When Elena found out you were coming, she called a bunch of people. They really want to meet you."

"What's that?" Elena asked Caroline, coming down the stairs.

"It's a dress that I made a long ass time ago. I never got a chance to wear it. I was starting to think that I never would..." her voice trailed off.

"Well, now you've got a chance to wear it. I bet it'll look great on you. C'mon, let's go upstairs so you can try it on."

-x-

"Caroline talks about you a lot," Bonnie remarked, watching Klaus clearly and then added, "She's told me what you did for her. Thank you."

"For what?"

"Caroline needed somebody to love her, to take care of her. Then there you were; you saved her life. I just felt like I needed to thank you for that."

_  
Caroline hadn't been back at the Mikaelson house for very long. She was surprised that they even took her back, in all honesty, because every other household had gotten rid of her whenever she messed up. The suicide attempt was Caroline messing up, but after she got out of the hospital, Esther had requested that Caroline come back to her house._

_She was just wandering around the house, not real sure what to do with herself, when Caroline heard voices coming from the living room. She was just going to let it go when she heard the voices get louder. She recognized the voices right away; it was Klaus and his sister, Rebekah._

_"What the hell, Nik? I mean, seriously, why did you even go and see her? She's like all the others we've had pass through our house through the years. There's nothing special about Caroline, at all."_

_When Caroline heard her name, she leaned against the wall, careful not to be seen, and watched through a crack in the door. She just had to know what was going on in there._

_"I had to see her, Bekah. I should be asking you the same question, though. What the hell were you thinking, telling her all that stuff?"_

_"I didn't say anything that was untrue, Nik. She's weak if that's all it takes for her to try and kill herself."_

_"Yeah, because you have someone doubting your every move, so you know what it's like. Seriously, Rebekah, Caroline has had it at least one hundred times worse than you could even imagine."_

_Rebekah scoffed, "Yeah, okay. Whatever."_

_"Rebekah, Father left years ago. You need to deal with it and get over it, already. You think that you have it bad because your daddy left you?" Klaus was getting angry, and Caroline had never seen this side of him before, so it scared her a little. She continued to watch as he continued, "At least your daddy is still alive, Rebekah. Her parents are dead. She literally has nothing except that bag full of clothes."_

_Rebekah scowled, "Don't talk about him like that, Nik."_

_"What? The fact that he left without telling anyone? That happened a long ass time ago, Rebekah. If you think you have it worse than Caroline, you're gravely mistaken."_

_"Whatever. It's not like I had a mother, anyway. She dedicates her life to these kids, but there's a million where Caroline came from. Soon enough, she'll be replaced with someone else - it always happens."_

_"Yeah, but at least you can go to your mother and talk to her, tell her you love her. Caroline's never going to have that, ever again."_

_"That's beause she's got our mother, Nik. Mother loves her better than she does me."_

_"Oh, boo hoo, Bekah," Klaus said, getting tired of his sister's arguments. "Caroline takes an interest in what Mother talks about. Have you ever thought about why that is?"_

_"Mother has betrayed me."_

_"If Mother has betrayed you by letting these kids into her heart, then okay, sure. But think about it, if Mother has betrayed us, then why doesn't anybody else feel the same way you do? Why aren't Elijah, Finn and Kol making just as big as a fuss as you?"_

_"Because," Rebekah said, and Caroline noticed her eyes widening, "Because they're not as sensitive as me."_

_"God, Rebekah," Klaus said, rolling his eyes and going back toward the door. "Think about what you're saying. The only reason you are even saying these things is because your daddy left you. But you know what? You can track Father down if you really want to. Caroline's parents are dead. They're dead, Rebekah! She's never going to be able to hold them, to talk to them, to tell them that she loves them. Since they died, she's been rooted around from home to home, and nobody has ever loved her. Think about it - you want to know why she's so distant? Why she doesn't talk to anyone? Take a look at her past. They've used her, chewed her up and spit her out. Everybody's set her up to fail, but I'm not going to be like them. You ever noticed that she's afraid to be alone with me, Elijah, Kol or Finn? It's because so many guys have used her wrong - and she's only fourteen fucking years old! What were you doing when you were fourteen, Bekah?"_

_"I'm only sixteen now, Nik."_

_"Doesn't answer my question. When you were fourteen, you were going on dates, spending Saturdays at the mall, talking on the phone to your superficial friends about things at school. She'll never have that. She has spent most of her life running and hiding from the monsters that just happen to be real. She'll never be normal, not ever!"_

_"Exactly my point, Nik. Why the hell would mother love someone so broken that she lets words get to her and tries to kill herself? That's just idiotic. She doesn't deserve love."_

_"Everyone deserves love, Rebekah! No matter who you are, you deserve it. It's something that you give unconditionally!"_

_Rebekah stormed out of the living room and bumped right into Caroline._

_"Watch where you're going!'_

_"Rebekah, you bumped into me."_

_"Yeah, well, you shouldn't be eavesdropping." Rebekah sighed, running her hand through her blonde hair and stomped up the stairs._

_"Look, I didn't meant to -" Caroline started, but Klaus stopped her._

_"It's just the way she is."_

_"Klaus, thank you -"_

_He shook his head, "My family calls me Nik."_  
  
-x-

"That dress is absolutely stunning, Caroline," Elena remarked when Caroline came out of the bathroom in her dress. "Did you make it? I didn't see anything like that in your book."

Caroline shrugged, "It was made when Tyler and I first got together. He was a pretty important guy. He was pre-law at Chicago University and he went to big events, so I always thought I'd get a chance to wear it. But Tyler never took me anywhere, so the dress stayed in my closet."

"So you're wearing it now?"

"I never thought I'd get the chance to wear it. It's been in my closet for years. I was getting ready to sell it."

"Well, you look absolutely beautiful. The people of Mystic Falls aren't going to know what hit them."

Caroline shook her head, "I still don't think I should go, Elena. I mean, I haven't been on a date since Tyler and I broke up, and besides that, I'm not from Mystic Falls -"

"Actually, you are. The Forbes' were a founding family of Mystic Falls, which makes you part of us. Besides," Elena said, heating up her curling iron, "remember last night, when I said I'd drag you there even if I had to tie you up and put you in my trunk? Don't tempt me, Caroline. I will do it."

Caroline shook her head, "I don't even have anyone to go with -"

"Actually, you do." Elena said, nodding towards the door. Caroline was surprised when she saw Klaus standing there.

He smiled, "My suit's in the car."


	5. Chapter 5

Caroline had never actually been in the Lockwood mansion before. She knew where it was, and that the Lockwoods were most prominent founding family of Mystic Falls, but she had never actually been inside their house. Even when she started dating Tyler, she didn't date him when he lived in Mystic Falls. They had bumped into each other in Chicago when she was living there, going to fashion school. He was going to school, too, and their relationship just evolved from there.

When Caroline went into the house, she looked around and was in awe; the place was just magnificent. From the way that Tyler had always talked about his family, Caroline knew that they were very well off. The Lockwood line had been mayors of Mystic Falls since the founding of the town in 1864.

Her head was starting to swim. As Caroline never backed down from anything in her entire life, she wasn't sure that this was where she was supposed to be. She wasn't a founder of Mystic Falls - not anymore. Sure, the Forbes family _was_ a founding family, but Caroline just didn't feel like a Forbes anymore. She didn't belong here. As Klaus escorted her into the big ballroom that evening, Caroline could feel herself start to lose control. She was starting to shake and she felt like she couldn't breathe.

Klaus saw it, too. When he felt Caroline tighten her grip on his arm, Klaus looked at her, smiling, and rubbed his hand over hers. "Relax," he said to her softly. "It's going to be okay."

Caroline shook her head, "No, it isn't. Do you know who lives here, Nik?"

He nodded, "Sure. The mayor lives here."

"Not just the mayor," Caroline said, shaking her head. "Carol Lockwood."

Klaus nodded slowly, "As in Tyler's mother." It was a comment, not a question. Caroline nodded, even though she really didn't have to verify it for him, and she felt herself start to go back into her shell. Her gaze was shifting to the floor, and she grew silent. Klaus knew what was happening right away - Caroline didn't do this very often anymore, but back when they first met, it was all she ever did. Klaus turned so he was facing her and looked at her, "Caroline, look at me."

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to regain her focus, and took a deep breath before looking into his eyes. He smiled weakly at her, "You're okay. You're going to be okay. I mean, you've got all those friends of yours who are going to be here and I'm here, in case she starts anything. You're safe, I promise."

Caroline nodded, even though she really didn't believe him, and took another deep breath before taking his arm once more and walking into the ballroom. For one brief moment, she almost felt like she belonged. Caroline has spent practically her entire life on the outside looking in, seeing all the people who had friends and belonged, but not being one of them. And now, here she was - at a real founder's party, like she really mattered.

She and Klaus danced a few times during the night, and she had even had some champagne. Now, Caroline wasn't really a champagne kind of girl, but a few sips didn't hurt her. The night was almost perfect when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

She turned around, "Hey, Stefan."

Stefan smiled at her and then looked at Klaus, "Elena wants to dance with you. She didn't get a chance to meet you like the rest of us did." As Klaus left, Stefan held out his hand and Caroline hesitated for a moment before reaching out and grabbing it.

"You look really beautiful tonight, Caroline. I don't think I've ever seen you dressed up like this before."

"Yeah, well, I guess we really haven't spent much time around each other in dressy occasions," Caroline said as they swayed to the music.

"Have you seen Damon today?"

Caroline shook her head, "No, and I'm glad. He keeps hitting on me."

"And you keep telling him no. He hasn't had that happen in a very long time." Stefan chuckled as he twirled Caroline, "I bet Damon really likes your fire. He doesn't get told no very often. You do have fire, Caroline. Does Klaus like that about you, too?"

Caroline's eyes widened, "Wait, do you think that Nik and I -" she burst into giggles. Stefan watched her silently, utterly confused.

"Sorry," she said, getting her giggles under control. "Nik and I are not a couple. He's my brother. That's all that's ever been between us, and that's all that'll ever be."

Stefan nodded understandingly, "He seems awfully protective of you."

Caroline nodded, "I sure am lucky to have him in my life. He's always been my rock."

"What about a boyfriend? I mean, shouldn't your boyfriend be your rock?"

"No boyfriend, Stefan," Caroline said, shaking her head. "No boyfriend ever again. I give up on love; my last relationship was just an utter disaster."

They danced in silence for a few moments when Caroline looked up and saw her; Carol Lockwood. And she was coming toward Caroline.

She pushed herself away from Stefan, "I, uh...I've gotta be somewhere else. Anywhere else."

"What's the matter?"

Carol Lockwood approached them before Caroline had a chance to get away, "Caroline Forbes. What are you doing here?"

"I, uh...Elena wanted me to come tonight," Caroline said softly. Carol just made a face.

"Do you really think that you really belong here, Caroline? I'd think that, after living in Richmond for the last ten years, I wouldn't expect to see you at a founder's party. I mean, what would your parents think?"

"Really, Carol? I mean, really?"

Damon was at the bar, not even ten feet away from where Carol and Caroline were standing. He couldn't pass up the chance to get on Carol's bad side. He stood and calmly walked over to them, looked Carol up and down, "Do you honestly think that you have any right to tell her she doesn't belong here, Carol?"

"I didn't say that..."

"Yeah, well I can speak your language. I know what you're doing to her, Carol. Here's my question, though: what makes you so much better than her, considering you married into being a founder. Think about it, Carol; do _you_ even belong here?"

Carol went silent for a moment, watching Damon closely, "You know, before you go defending this girl, this _nobody_ , you should really get to know her. You'll change your tune."

With that, Carol walked away, and both Damon and Stefan turned around to see that Caroline was gone. She had bolted out the front door before anybody could notice.

-x-

Caroline was upset with herself. For once in her life, Caroline had actually thought that maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to blend in, have somewhat of a normal life. But nothing in Caroline's life had ever been normal. Caroline was walking down the street after taking off her heels, carrying them in her left hand. She knew that her makeup had to be running from the tears that just wouldn't stop. She reached up and rubbed her eye; seriously, she had been such a goddamn fool. How could she think that she'd ever be normal? Nothing in her life was normal, not ever. She was just pissed at herself.

That's when she heard the car behind her. She could tell from the sound of the motor running that it wasn't Klaus' car.

"If you're going to run me over, just do it already," she said bitterly. Then she heard his laugh.

"Damon?" she asked. She shook her head, "I don't care, I was serious."

"I'm not going to run you over, Caroline. Just get in the car."

She shook her head, "I'm going to go and get my car and get the hell out of town. Carol was right; I don't belong here."

"C'mon, Caroline, don't be stubborn. It's at least ten miles to the boarding house; you can't walk that far. Just get in the damn car and I'll drive you."

Caroline chewed it over in her head for a moment, and, against her better judgment, she got into the passenger's seat. She looked at Damon, "What the fuck are you doing here, anyway?"

"A thank you would be nice," Damon said sarcastically, but his smile faded away when he saw the look on her face. "Don't you worry about Carol. She's a bitch. She's always been one and probably will always be one. She's the stereotypical, overly-religious, thinks she's better than everyone but her son, bitch."

"Actually," Caroline said, "I'd say that she and her son are about on level ground when it comes to that."

"Did you date Tyler?" Damon asked, his voice soft. Caroline could only nod.

"What for? That guy is a massive tool."

Caroline smiled weakly, "He was so sweet in the beginning. He was everything I thought I ever wanted." Her gaze was fixed on the floor, "That's the thing about growing up with nothing; you don't know the good from the bad. You have to take things at what they're worth, and I was so blind. I was so stupid."

"Tyler is the biggest douche I've ever seen," Damon said.

When they got to the boarding house, Damon came around and opened Caroline's door, "Here, let's get you inside."

He wrapped his suit jacket around her shoulders and escorted her into the boarding house. He led her into the parlor.

"C'mon, let me fix you a drink. It'll make you feel better."

Caroline nodded, sighed, and then looked at him, "Sure. I mean, why not?"

Damon poured her a glass of bourbon and handed it to her, and she drank it in one gulp.

"Well you know how," he said, only half sarcastically.

She nodded, "Sometimes life gets so fucking bad that I need to get drunk. I've never drank with anybody else before, though."

"Not even your brother?"

"Who, Nik?" she asked, and he nodded. "His name is Klaus, by the way. I don't think you two had ever been officially introduced." Caroline took a gulp on the drink he handed her and answered, "Nik is - well, he's everything to me. I love him to death because he's the first person in my pathetic little life that ever cared about me. I mean, I had Elena, and that was all good, but I needed someone else - someone who lived near me, and Nik - he helps me."

"Do you even remember life here in Mystic Falls before you left?" Damon asked her, handing her another glass.

Caroline took a swig of it and then shook her head, "It's fuzzy. My parents died when I was eleven, and I can remember every little thing that happened after, but before, it feels like...it's blank. I can remember bits and pieces, like something Dad would say, or a certain dress that Mom wore. I don't remember much else. It's like...you know, on TV, when they're doing a flashback, how the screen is all blurry right before?"

Damon laughed, and that made Caroline giggle, "I'm serious, Damon. I know it's probably a lame ass analogy, but it's the best I can come close to when describing my memories. You know, Nik is dead convinced that I've blocked stuff out because of the hurt and pain that I went through, but do you know what's funny?" Caroline waited for Damon to shrug and then she continued, "I remember every little thing that happened _after_ they died. I can even remember what dress I wore to their funeral. It's weird, because a lot of my horrors, a lot of my demons, they happened after I was put into the system."

"You were never adopted?"

She shook her head, "When it comes to adoption, people want babies and little kids. They want, like, four and five year olds. I was eleven. It's like, when someone wants to adopt a dog, what do they get? They get a puppy. They're the easiest to train. It's the same with foster kids."

"What about Klaus' family?" Damon was pretty interested now. There was something special about her, but he just couldn't put his finger on what it was.

"Esther wanted to adopt me. She was ready to." Once again, her gaze was fixed on the floor. "My case worker said that she couldn't. I had too many problems, I _was_ too many problems. I was fourteen by that time and I was a stubborn, obnoxious, moody teenager. She said that I was unlovable, that I was unadoptable."

"You've got to know that was bullshit," Damon said, enraged. He wasn't really enraged just because it was Caroline; it was more the fact that someone would tell _any_ kid that. "There is no one in this entire world who is unlovable. And I bet Esther would agree with me."

"I don't know, Damon," Caroline said, tears in her eyes. "Looking back on what I was, or rather, who I was, sometimes I wonder if what she said was absolutely true."

-x-

Four hours and two bottles of bourbon later, Caroline was pretty buzzed. Damon gave her credit, though; the girl could really handle her liquor. What Damon didn't know was a while back, Caroline had stopped drinking. She needed to make sure she stayed in control of herself.

"Tell me something, Caroline," Damon said, watching her closely. "How does somebody who only drinks to get drunk have such a high tolerance for alcohol, anyway?"

Caroline grinned, "I've consumed my fair share of alcohol, Damon. I just don't like to drink around other people; that doesn't mean I don't drink alone."

"Why is that?"

"What? Why I don't like to drink around people, or why do I like to drink alone?"

"It's really actually the same question, boiled down to it," Damon answered, and Caroline giggled.

"Sure. It's just that when I drink alone, I don't have to worry about people taking advantage of me. I've never ordered a drink in a bar."

"Have you ever even been in a bar?"

"Sure. I've been to the Grill, and there's a few other bar and grills and sports bars in Richmond and Chicago that I like..." 

"Sports bars? What about a regular bar?"

Caroline shook her head, "I don't like regular bars. I've known my fair share of drunk people, and I don't like them. They're scary."

"Then you haven't found the right people," Damon stated, and it made Caroline silent.

"I enjoyed getting drunk with you, Caroline," Damon said. "You're not the worst company in the world."

"Is that a compliment?" Caroline asked.

Damon thought about it for a moment before answering, "Yes. Definitely a compliment."

"You know, Damon," Caroline said, taking a drink of water out of the glass that sat beside her, "I've bared my soul tonight. I'm not usually like that, but I have to know - what's your deal?"

Damon shook his head, "I don't know why I am even going to tell you this, but there was this girl. She was amazing and I could've seen myself growing old with her." It was Damon's turn to watch the floor. "But I was just fooling myself. She wanted both me and Stefan, and she enjoyed playing us against each other. It took years for me and Stefan to get back to an equilibrium where we could talk, laugh, and trust each other again."

"Yeah, but you're the Salvatore brothers," Caroline said, looking him straight in the eye. "Your love for your brother is better than anything else. You guys care about each other and want what's best for each other, right?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah. Just remember that the first time you ever see us have a fight."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A good portion of this story is already written, and I'm trying really hard to get it all up here, but it's taking more time than I thought it would. I'm going to try to update a couple of times a week until I get to where I'm writing the new chapters, but life keeps getting in the way. I'm working on it, though.

When Caroline woke up the next morning, she could remember last night in vivid detail. While she was not ashamed of her past and spoke very openly about it, part of her wondered if she should have shared so freely with Damon. She had learned the hard way that not everybody was comfortable hearing those things. She made a few people uncomfortable without meaning to, and that's one of the reasons that she didn't normally talk about her past unless someone asked. Part of her remembered that Damon had asked a few questions, but she wasn't sure if she should've answered everything. A lot of people in her past felt bad for her, and Caroline didn't want anybody's pity. She was a strong person and hated the fact that anybody felt sorry for her.

As Caroline sat up groggily, she rubbed her eyes Even though she didn't drink that much last night, she felt like she had a little bit of a hangover. Her head was just throbbing and she felt like she wanted to climb back into bed and sleep for a year. Instead, she grabbed her purse and pulled a bottle of aspirin out of it, taking two of the tablets. Caroline looked around; she almost forgot that she had gone upstairs and used one of the spare rooms. After getting up and dressing, she slowly tip-toed through the house. She felt like she needed to get out of here, like, now.

She got as far as the front door before she heard his familiar voice, "Why are we sneaking, Caroline?"

Damn it. Caroline's eyes scanned the room, there, leaning on the wall in front of the doorway, was Klaus. Caroline groaned; part of her wished that he would've left Mystic Falls already and go back to Richmond. If there was anybody that Caroline did not want to see right now, it was him. Well, him or Elena. There were two people in this entire world that she could not lie to, and it was them. Sometimes it seemed like they knew her better than she knew herself.

"I, uh..." Caroline sighed heavily. "I've gotta get back to Richmond. You know, I have that wedding dress to work on, and the bead work is going to take for-fucking-ever -"

You didn't answer my question, though. You seem almost itchy to get out of here."

"Yeah, I am. Okay? I want to get out of here before Damon wakes up."

"What happened last night that's got you so jumpy?" Klaus walked over to her and watched her carefully

Caroline shrugged; she might as well tell him the truth. He was going to find out eventually anyway; he always did, "Last night Damon and I did some drinking."

Klaus nodded, "I know. Did you know that after we got home from the founder's party last night, Stefan collected at least three different empty liquor bottles? What were you thinking, exactly, Caroline? Getting drunk with alone with a guy with a reputation like Damon Salvatore?"

"I didn't get drunk, Nik. I just drank until I was buzzed, and then I stopped and drank water. I don't get drunk around other people; you know that better than anyone else."

"You're right. But what happened at the founder's party that made you leave like that?"

Caroline groaned, "I don't want to talk about it right now."

"So, you're just going to go back to your shop and pretend like it never happened? That's not healthy, Caroline, and you know it."

"So, are we done here? I mean, can I go now?"

"No, as a matter of fact, you can't. I understand that you want to get out of here before Damon wakes up, but are you really going to do that to your friends? Just sneak out at seven in the morning? C'mon, put your bag down and I'll make you breakfast."

Caroline groaned, bu there was no sense in arguing with him; when Klaus made up his mind, he stuck to it. Caroline dropped her bag by the front door and following him into the kitchen.

"This isn't even your house, Nik. How are you going to know where things are?"

"Easy. Just look around until I find what I'm looking for."

It took a few more minutes than he anticipated, but about half an hour later, Caroline was eating eggs and sausage. Klaus was a good cook, and he enjoyed it, too. Caroline ate greedily - she just loved his cooking.

About an hour later, Elena came down the stairs and was genuinely surprised when she saw Caroline sitting in the parlor, "I didn't think you'd be up yet."

"To tell you the truth, Elena," Caroline said, watching her friend closely, "I was going to sneak out. Nik caught me and told me I should stay, at least long enough to say goodbye to my friends."

"Look, Caroline," Elena said, sitting beside her friend, "I'm really sorry about the whole founder's party thing. I had no idea that things would end like that."

"How do you know about it?"

"Stefan told me."

"Of course he did. Look, Elena, I'm okay. I used to people like Carol, and -"  
"You might be used to it, but you shouldn't have to be. It's sad that most people you've had in your life have _made_ you used to it."

"It doesn't matter, Elena. It's done, it's over with. I just...I need to go home and go back to work."

"What happened between you and Damon last night?" Elena asked Caroline suddenly.

Caroline groaned, "We drank. Not a big deal. We drank and talked like we were friends. He didn't hit on me once all night."

"Do you want to be friends with Damon?" Elena asked her.

"I don't know, Elena," Caroline said wearily.

"You said that he didn't hit on you at all, and you said that you talked like you were friends, right? Besides, everyone can use more friends."

"Look, I know you're kind of weary because of what has happened to you throughout your life. I get it. But not every guy out there is like that, I can promise you that. I mean, Stefan's a good guy, right? So is Klaus and his brothers. So because you know them, and they're good, doesn't that mean that more could be out there?"

-x-

Damon stumbled out of bed around two in the afternoon, walking down the stairs. He needed his coffee. He got to the kitchen, noticing that Stefan was at the table, eating breakfast. Damon poured his coffee and joined his brother at the table.

"Is Caroline here?"

Stefan shook his head, "No. She left around noon."

Damon rubbed a hand over his face, "Oh."

"What happened last night, Damon? I know about Caroline running out of the Lockwood mansion, and I know about you following her, but what happened after that?"

Damon shrugged, taking a drink of his coffee, "Not much. We talked and drank."

"Did you sleep with her?"

Damon shook his head, "No. I wanted to, but then she told me a little bit about her past. It helped me understand why she's so closed off."

"Tell her how you feel, Damon. I mean, seriously, it's better than you sitting here, thinking about her."

"How do you know I'm thinking about her?"

"I know you, Damon. I saw the way you looked at her last night, the way that you defended her. You feel something for her."

"Caroline's different. She's got something special. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but she's not like other girls."

"So ask her out, Damon."

"It's not like I want to date her, Stefan. Maybe invite her to dinner or something, get to know more about her. I don't even have her phone number."

"You could ask Elena."

"Yeah, right," Damon laughed bitterly. "What am I supposed to do? Go up to her and say, 'Hey Elena, I know I've been an ass for the last few years but I really want to get at your friend?' That won't fly and you know it, Stefan."

Damon rubbed a hand over his face, got up, put his coffee cup in the sink and headed towards the door. Stefan watched his brother, "Where are you going?"

"Out," was Damon's reply, but Stefan knew his brother. Something told him where his brother was going - to Richmond. This was a small victory, but he'd take any victory he could get.


	7. Chapter 7

Damon sat in the coffee shop across the street from Caroline's shop, staring out the window. From where he was sitting, he could see her shop perfectly, even though he wasn't sure what to do now.

He needed to know her. Caroline Forbes was an independent, successful, intriguing woman. As much as Damon had avoided serious women who wanted serious relationships in the past, he couldn't help his attraction to her. He wanted to know more about her. While he had told Stefan he didn't want to date her, Damon wasn't so sure that was true. He wanted to know what made her tick. He had been over at her shop for ten minutes, pacing back and forth in front of the door, but he lost his nerve and went across the street instead. He thought that maybe if he could compose his thoughts and figure out what he wanted to do next, then things would be better.

The problem was, he didn't know what to do next. With Rose and Andie, it had been easy. If he wanted to tell the truth, he would say that he didn't love them. Hell, half the time he didn't even like them. He was just tired of everybody bugging him to move on. It had been almost three years since Katherine when Stefan tried to set Damon up with Rose, and he just went along with it because it was just a means to an end. Rose had been a distraction; something to take his mind off of Katherine. It didn't help, though, and he had a hard time opening up to anyone since Katherine. Rose eventually got tired of Damon being so guarded and left. The story was the same with Andie - while it was actually Elena's aunt Jenna who had set them up, Damon still went along with it, and, again, Andie ended up leaving because Damon was so guarded. It seemed like that was the story of his life. So, instead of trying another relationship, he just played the field. He couldn't open up to anyone, that much was obvious. It had only been a year and a half since things ended with Andie, but Damon just couldn't move on.

He hadn't wanted to get to know a girl in almost five years, but yet, Caroline was special. He could say it over and over again; he couldn't put his finger on what it was about her, but there was something there She was independent, and fierce. She definitely had a fire to her. He sighed heavily, taking a drink of his coffee, and that's when he felt the tap on his shoulder.

"You're Damon Salvatore, yes?" The woman asked him. He could do nothing but nod.

"I'm Esther Mikaelson. Caroline's mother."

"Yeah," he answered, "she told me about you. Well, kinda."

"Do you mind if I join you?" she asked, and Damon shrugged. Esther took that as a yes and tok a seat across from him.

"So, Damon, Caroline told me what happened at the founder's party, and about driving her home. That was real sweet of you, and I want to thank you."

"I did. Caroline is a good friend of my brother and his friends, and besides, everything Carol was saying was bullshit."

"I'm having my children over for dinner tonight. Why don't you join us?"

"I don't want to impose, Esther. I mean, it's a family thing, and..."

"Nonsense," Esther replied. "We'd love to have you. We're having dinner a six o'clock and I won't take no for an answer. I want to get to know you, Damon."

"Well, I guess if you're not taking no for an answer, then I have no choice," Damon replied. He took down Esther's address and directions to her house before saying, "I've got to go home and change my clothes -"

"Nonsense," Esther replied, looking at him. "You look fine."

Damon shrugged, "Okay, I guess. I'll see you at six."

-x-

"I can't believe you, Mother! You invited Damon Salvatore to dinner? Seriously?"

"Niklaus, please don't yell at me. I'm doing this for Caroline." Esther was in her kitchen, working on dinner. She had a lasagna in the oven and was working on an apple pie - that was Caroline's favorite. Klaus stood behind her, watching her.

"Do you not realize how bad of a decision this is? You know Damon's reputation, and -"

"Niklaus, not to excuse what he did, but it's just a reputation. You need to concentrate on the man, not the reputation. For all you know, the reputation could be untrue."

"I don't trust him, Mother. He's going to chew her up and spit her out, just like what Tyler Lockwood did to her."

"Caroline may have made a mistake by getting involved with Tyler, but she learned from it, right? What's Caroline always telling you?"

Klaus rolled his eyes, "She doesn't regret anything she's ever gone through. It's made her a stronger person, the person she is right now."

"That's right. She's always saying that every little thing she's ever gone through, good or bad, has shaped her into the person she is right now. Caroline is a very strong person. She can go at the world alone. But that is not what I want for her. I love Caroline like she's my own daughter, you know that. She's been in our lives for almost eight years, and I want what's best for her. I think that having Damon over for dinner, and getting to know him, will help Caroline."

"Do you realize when Caroline's left the Salvatores' house this morning, she was sneaking out? She didn't want Damon to find her there."

"Don't look at me like that, Niklaus. I'm doing this for Caroline. Now, did you get a hold of everybody?"

"Yes. They're all coming for dinner. Everybody but Rebekah."

"I knew she wouldn't be able to attend; she's in Europe somewhere with that new guy she's been seeing. I get postcards and emails from her from time to time." Esther watched Klaus for a moment, saying, "There's also something I want you to know. I will not tolerate you, or any of your brothers, making Damon uncomfortable. You have been Caroline's protector for a long time, and I get that. But she doesn't need that right now. You need to let her make her own decisions."

"Right," Klaus said sarcastically. "And you talking Damon into coming to dinner here is Caroline making her own decisions?"

Esther shrugged, "My house. I get to make the rules."

-x-

"I was invited to have dinner with a friend tonight, but I started to think that maybe I should stay home and work," Damon said into the phone. He was talking to Matt, who managed The Grill for him. Part of him wanted to work tonight, while the other part just wanted an excuse so he didn't have to go to dinner with Caroline. He was nervous; more nervous than he should have been. Not only was he having dinner with Caroline, but he was meeting her family. The old Damon Salvatore would have run away from that so fast, but, for some reason, he wasn't going to."

"No way, Damon. I've got this."

"Who is that on the phone?" Damon heard Elena in the background. When Matt told her that Damon was having dinner with a friend, Damon heard her squeal and then she started chattering like a nervous puppy, "Who's it with? Where are you going? Is it a date?" Finally, Matt put his phone down onto the table and put it on speakerphone.

"Where _are_ you going?" Matt asked him.

"I told you. I was invited to have dinner with a friend."

"Who?" Damon heard Elena ask, and he just groaned.

"Look, Elena, I just called because I needed to know whether or not I was needed at The Grill. Now, not that it's any of your business, because it's _not_ , but I'm just having dinner with a friend."

"You know me, Damon. I'm practically the little sister you never wanted. You should know me well enough by now to know that I'm going to pester you until you spill."

"You might as well tell her," Matt piped up. "She's not going to leave you alone until you do."

"I don't care, Elena. Pester me as much as you want. I'm not telling you. Maybe, that's _maybe_ , if the dinner goes well, I'll tell you later."

There was a moment of silence before Matt said, "Don't worry about The Grill. Go have dinner; I'll take care of everything, Boss."

Damon hung up and drove to Esther's house. When he got there, he saw it was a beautiful house. She lived near the woods, and the backyard was huge. She had to have at least five or six acres of land. Damon cut the engine and got out of the car, going onto the front porch, getting ready to ring the doorbell, but he just couldn't do it. He paced back and forth on the porch until he heard the door open. He looked over and saw Caroline.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Your mother invited me for dinner. You didn't know?"

Caroline groaned and rolled her eyes, "No, she didn't tell me. It doesn't surprise me, though. When I told her about the founder's party fiasco, she wanted to know more about you." Caroline watched Damon carefully. "My mother can be...well, she can be a little overzealous. She wants me to get knew friends. I know this; everybody in the family knows it. I'm sorry if she embarrassed you earlier."

"Not a problem," Damon answered, coming closer to Caroline. "I like her."

"Really?" she asked. He was getting awfully close.

"Yeah," Damon said, slipping behind Caroline and going through the door. Caroline let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. She followed Damon inside and introduced him to her brothers.

"That's Finn, Kol, Elijah, and Klaus," she said, pointing out each one.

"Hey, Elijah, your mom wants -" a voice came from around the corner, and Damon almost didn't believe his eyes when he saw her. It was Rose. Rose, as in his ex-girlfriend Rose. As she spotted, she stopped.

"Damon, what are you doing here?" she asked. Everybody's glances went from Rose to Damon.

"Esther invited me. What are _you_ doing here?"

"Elijah and I have been together a couple a years. It's good to see you."

Breaking the silence, Elijah said, "Rosemarie, how do you know Damon?"

She snapped back to reality, "Um, I know his brother. We hung out a few times when I lived in Mystic Falls."

It wasn't long after that that Esther had called to her sons, telling them that she was ready to serve dinner. She even made Damon and Caroline sit next to each other.

"Tell me more about yourself, Damon," Esther said after serving dinner.

"I, uh...honestly, there's not much to tell."

"Nonsense," Esther replied. "There's got to be something about you. You seem like a very interesting person."

Damon shrugged and figured if he focused on Esther, the death glares he was getting from Klaus and Kol would go away. He should've known better, as Caroline had told him that her brothers were overprotective of her. He filled Esther in on growing up in Mystic Falls, though he was born in Italy; he also told her that he had spent a great deal of time in that country after high school when he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. He told her about buying the Mystic Grill and running it, also mentioning Carol Lockwood trying to put a ban on it."

"That Carol Lockwood is such a bitch," Klaus said through gritted teeth, ignoring the look he was getting from his mother. "She thinks she's better than anybody else."

"Except for her son," Damon added. "She may be the mayor because her husband died, but at least we have a good sheriff."

"Is it still Mason?" Caroline asked.

Damon nodded, "Yeah. Mason Lockwood."

Klaus looked at Damon quizzically, "You trust the safety to your town to a Lockwood?"

Damon shrugged, "If you met him, you'd like him. He's what we call the anti-Lockwood. He hates Carol, and isn't a very big fan of Tyler, either. He's actually locked Tyler up quite a few times, for public disturbances and drunkenness, that kind of thing." Damon glanced at Caroline, wondering if she was going to be uncomfortable at him mentioning her ex. She didn't look phased.

-x-

Damon sighed, standing on the porch of the Mikaelson house, and lit a cigarette. Now, normally he didn't smoke, but every once in a while when he felt he needed it, he would. It was normally when he was pissed off, or frustrated, or really stressed. This time, though, it was because he wasn't sure what the hell to do, or even think.

"I thought you quit," a voice came from behind him. He let out a breath of air, it was just Rose.

"I did. But every once in a while, I need it." He turned to look at her. "You lied to your family in there."

Rose shrugged, "Not thoroughly. I just didn't tell them the whole truth. Besides that, Elijah knows about you, and he doesn't care. He's like that; he won't say anything because we trust each other. However, I know Kol and Klaus. They wouldn't be able to let it go. And besides that, what would Caroline think? Would she want to get involved with a man who is exes with her sister-in-law?"

Damon looked at her quizzically.

"I can still read you like a book, Damon. Don't even try to deny it, either. You have a thing for Caroline."

Damon sighed and flicked his cigarette butt off the porch, "I don't know _what_ I want. I don't know know _what_ I think. I want to know her. She's different from other girls I've met."

"So, you're finally over Katherine."

Damon was silent for a moment and Rose said, "Sorry I...just...I know that Katherine was...you know what, never mind."

"I'm sorry, Rose," Damon said after a moment. "I'm sorry I was so focused on Katherine that I fucked us up. I'm sorry that I couldn't move on."

Rose smiled, "I'm over it. I got over it a long time ago. But where it pertains to Caroline, Damon, I think you should be honest with her. I mean, tell her how you feel."

"I don't know _what_ I feel."

"Tell her that. Be honest with her. And, for God's sake, don't hide things from her. That's how you lost me."

-x-

After Damon's talk with Rose, he was a little worried when he was approached by Klaus and Kol

"I'm not going to threaten you, Damon," Klaus said o him. "I just want you to know that Caroline and I are close, and if you do anything to hurt her, I'll know. I want you to remember that."

Damon nodded, "Message received."

"He's not going to threaten you because he's scared of Mother and Caroline," Kol said from behind Klaus, and Damon looked at Klaus quizzically.

"That's not true," Klaus said, but after a moment he shrugged, "Okay, maybe it's a little true. You've never seen Caroline when she's angry. Anyway, Damon, I want you to know that Caroline and I are close, and everybody in the family is frustrated because after she broke up with Tyler, she quit trying. We want her to get back out there, even if it is with you" Klaus turned around and started to walk away.

"I figured you wouldn't trust a guy like me," Damon called after him. Klaus turned around and looked at him.

"I don't," Klaus said before turning back around and walking away.


	8. Chapter 8

"C'mon, Damon," Stefan said, following his brother through the boarding house, "we've gotta do this. Besides, the party is going to be here. You can't avoid it."

Damn sighed, turning around to look at his brother, "You want to throw some stuffy party here, and you want me here because Dad left the company to the both of us, _and_ you want me to bring a date? I hate these things."

"I know, Damon, but you know how these things are. They want to meet us, talk about the company, talk about their investments, things like that. It's something that goes along with the territory - "

"I really don't want to do this, brother," said Damon, getting very annoyed. "What's it gotta be here?"

"We've got the room, Damon. These people are going to want to meet us. I mean, what better place to do it, huh? C'mon, it'll be easy; you just drink champagne, meet these people and talk to them."

"You said I have to bring a date."

"Why not? What do you have against a date?"

"I don't have anyone to ask."

Stefan nodded slowly, "What happened to the Damon Salvatore who would bring a random girl to these things just to get laid? C'mon, we both know that when these things get boring, you used to sneak girls upstairs for -"

Damon clamped a hand over his brother's mouth, "I'm not that guy anymore."

Stefan smiled knowingly, "You went to dinner with a friend the other night, right? Why not ask her?"

"Elena told you."

"We think it's a good thing, Damon. You're dating again, this time by choice. Ask your _friend_ to come to this dinner. You never know what might happen."

-x-

Damon walked into Caroline's shop, looking around nervously. He really didn't want to run into Klaus again.

Caroline looked up from her work and smiled at him, realizing Damon's nervousness, "You don't have to worry. Nik is in New York for the week. He doesn't get back until next Monday."

"What made you think I was looking for your brother?"

"You have all the telltale signs, Damon. Nik's gotten to you. He makes you nervous."

Damon smiled, "Yeah, a little bit."

Damon came closer, "I came to see if you'll go to dinner with me tonight. Well, it's not really a dinner; it's more like a really stuffy, boring party full of rich snobs." Caroline just watched him, eyes wide.

Caroline made a face.

"I know that it's short notice and everything, but I would love nothing more than for you to accompany me."

"I don't know, Damon. I'm not really dating right now."

Damon shook his head, "Then we won't call it a date. More like two friends going to some stuffy party together, because, believe it or not, Caroline, I don't want to be there. But I have to be."

"Why?"

"My dad owned this company. I mean, he was a doctor, but he started the Salvatore foundation to donate money to different things, different people who needed money for their investments. When he died, he left his foundation to both me and Stefan, and put a clause in his will that I can't sell my shares. I guess he thought I needed some kind of responsibility or some shit like that. Anyways, I have to go to these parties every once in a while, meet these people who need money, talk about their projects, and, of course, talk to the current people who we're giving money to. It's not something that I like doing; hell, if I could avoid it, I would."

Caroline nodded.

"So, what do you think? I'd really like you to accompany me, Caroline."

Caroline rubbed a hand over her face, "Gee, I don't know, Damon..."

"I'm not too proud to beg, Caroline," Damon said, earning a smile from Caroline.

"Fine," she finally agreed. "Just as friends, though."

Damon nodded, feeling somewhat accomplished, "The party is going to be at the boarding house. Get there around eight. Until then, Caroline," he said, turning around and exiting the shop.

-x-

"Damon asked me to accompany him to some stuffy party tonight," Caroline said into the phone. She was talking to Elena, and Elena was thrilled. Actually, she was ecstatic. She wanted nothing more than for Caroline to be happy, but she felt that Damon could give her so much.

"So, are you going to go?"

"I told him I would, but I was starting to change my mind - "

"Do yourself a favor, Care," Elena said, interrupting Caroline. "For once in your life, take a chance. You're so protected and guarded. I understand that, with what you've been through, you have to be. But sometimes, great things happen to those of us who take a chance.

"I can't, Elena," Caroline was practically whispering now. "I've been through hell. I've seen the world as it really is. It's a dark, cruel place and people just use you up and spit you out. I've seen that personally."

"Caroline, your view is biased. The world is not like that. There are good people out there. I mean, what about me? What about your brothers?"

"You guys are the exception"

"I know how much you hate stereotypes, Caroline. I know how much you hate it when people judge you before getting to know you. I know you hate it when people don't give you the chance you feel you deserve. Why are you doing it to other people?"

"I, uh...I have to." Caroline's voice was soft, almost a whisper. "I can't take the chance."

"Why not?"

"Look at what happened the last time I took a chance," Caroline practically whispered. Elena sighed.

"Caroline, Tyler Lockwood was a mistake. What happened between the two of you was not your fault. You cannot take what he did to mean that you deserved the way he treated you. Tyler took advantage of you. He saw a girl who was broken, someone who was vulnerable and wanted to be loved, and he took advantage of that. This is not your fault. You know that, right?"

Caroline was silent, so Elena continued, "Caroline, life is hard. You know that better than anybody else. But your brothers, they are good, right?" Caroline uttered something that Elena took as recognition, so she continued, "So why don't you give Damon a shot? He could be good, just like your brothers. I refuse to believe that the four Mikaelson brothers are the only good guys in the entire world."

Caroline was silent still, so Elena said, "Look, Caroline, I love you and want to see you happy. You haven't been out with a single person since you ended things with Tyler and that's been three years, almost four. You can't live your entire life like this."

"And how's that?"

"Caroline, don't get mad. I'm just stating a fact. You're very guarded. I think that going out with Damon tonight will do you some good. Do yourself a favor, okay? Just go out to this thing with him, spend some time with him, and see what happens. I don't know, Care, you might find out that you like him. That could always be a good thing."

There was a moment of silence before Elena said, "Caroline, you are not a bad person. You were just dealt a bad hand. You know, sometimes bad things just happen to good people."

-x-

"You lied to him," Elena told Stefan when she got off the phone with Caroline. "I can't believe you actually went through with it. Did he believe you?"

Stefan nodded and chuckled, "Yeah, he did. It'll be good for him and Caroline. They obviously like each other."

"You don't know that."

"Well, I know Damon likes her. You didn't see it, but when he defended her against Carol Lockwood, I could really tell."

"C'mon, Stefan, both you and I know that Damon stood up for Caroline because he and Carol Lockwood hate each other. He was just using that to put digs in at Carol; he'd use any reason to do it."

"Stop being like that, Elena. Our plan is working perfectly. There's something there. He thinks that Caroline is something special."

Elena made a face at Stefan, "Caroline _is_ something special. She's a rare breed, you know. Caroline is a thousand times stronger than anybody I know. She's got a good game face, too, but deep down, Caroline is an insecure mess."

"You only know that because she tells you everything."

Elena shrugged, "I know absolutely everything Caroline's ever gone through, that's true. She's told me every aspect of her life, and that's because I was there for her when nobody else was. You know, I was worried that she'd stop confiding in me when the Mikaelsons started to bond with her, but nothing changed."

"What has Caroline said about Damon?"

Elena shook her head, "Not much. She's too afraid to dive into anything right now. It's all because of what Tyler did to her. He really fucked with her mind."

"Not in a million years would I have pegged Caroline as someone who would hook up with Tyler. They're just not compatible."

"I feel bad for Caroline, Stefan. I really do. She's put her heart on the line twice now and every time she does, it's an utter disaster. Guys use her up and spit her out."

-x-

Caroline stood outside the Salvatore boarding house that night, pacing back and forth. She was ready to knock on the door, but every time she got up there, she lost her nerve. She had been pacing back and forth in front of that door for almost fifteen minutes when it opened and Damon stepped outside.

"I've been watching you out the window," Damon said, watching her closely. "You've been pacing in front of this door for fifteen minutes. You go up to it, then your eyes get wide and you go back to where you started. What the hell are you doing?"

Caroline shrugged, "I can't go through with this, Damon. I'm not a party person. I'm going to be here, and I'll probably just end up in the corner by myself -"

"No, you won't. Since this is a Salvatore foundation party, Stefan will be here, and that means Elena will be here. She won't let you curl up in a corner, if I know Elena."

Caroline shook her head, "I don't belong here, Damon. I'm not worth it."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"You wanted to show up with me. Well, I don't know why, because I'm not worth it." Caroline sighed. "I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere."

"Caroline, please, just come in with me. We'll talk, and maybe even dance?" Damon looked at her with a questioning glance. "This will be good for you."

Caroline rolled her eyes, but she grabbed Damon's arm as he escorted her into the boarding house. She looked around; the boarding house was full of people who looked like they were snobs. Caroline sighed as she walked with Damon until they reached Stefan and Elena.

"You don't think that I could possibly skip this one, do you, brother?" Damon asked Stefan, hoping that his brother wouldn't mind. But when Stefan gave Damon that brooding look, Damon sighed, "Never mind."

"Damon, we've got to do this together. We own the foundation, you know."

"I'll make a deal with you," Damon said. He realized that he was bargaining, but damn it, he was desperate. "I'll stay down here for an hour, maybe two. Then I get to take Caroline elsewhere, somewhere where we can talk. You know, anywhere is better than here."

Stefan made a face, "Why does it matter?"

"I think you should take the deal, Stefan," Caroline said suddenly. "I know this isn't my foundation, and I know that I don't make the rules or anything, but if Damon has to stay at this boring party, he's gonna make a lousy impression. People will think that you guys don't take your work seriously, and you don't want that with something as big as this foundation."

Stefan made a face before saying, "Wow, that actually makes sense."

Damon watched Caroline, eyes wide.

Caroline leaned up to Damon's ear and whispered, "You can thank me later."

Elena just stood beside Stefan and watched Damon and Caroline. Oh yes, they were _definitely_ getting somewhere.


	9. Chapter 9

"I could not wait to get away from that God awful party," Damon said, opening the front door of the Grill and waiting for Caroline to go through it. "Seriously, it gets worse every time."

Caroline took a seat across from Damon in a booth when he signaled Matt over. He ordered some French fries and a beer, then, looking at Caroline as she said, "I don't know, Damon, it wasn't that bad?"

"Speaking of," he said, looking into her eyes, "When you were talking to Stefan, how did you learn how to talk business like that? It was fucking brilliant."

Caroline smiled, "I own my own business, Damon. I may just be a dressmaker, but I've had to do my fair share of PR. You should learn how, it'd make you a better businessman." Caroline saw Damon's face fall, so she added, "Not that you're a bad one. It's just that...since you and your brother own that foundation, you should know how to talk to people."

"That foundation was my dad's. I had no interest in it at all. If that clause wasn't in his will, I wouldn't be doing this at all." Damon paused to take a drink of his beer, "I could sell my shares, but it's gotta be approved by Stefan, which, it's not."

"I'm sure you could get around that if you really wanted to."

Damon shrugged, "I'm going to be completely honest with you, Caroline. Stefan and I, our relationship has been kind of strained over the last few years, and we're finally on good terms. I love my brother, I really do, and with us owning this foundation and running it together, I don't want to screw up what progress we've made. I want to be friends with my brother again."

"So what happened?" Caroline asked, taking a few French fries off Damon's plate. She noticed Damon's quizzical look, so she continued, "Something had to have happened between the two of you to fuck up your relationship in the first place. What was it?"

Damon made a face and watched Caroline very carefully, "That's a long discussion for a different time."

Caroline nodded and said, "You should be happy. You're part of some kind of family heritage. I have nothing. I'm not a part of anything."

"Look at me, Caroline," Damon ordered softly and her eyes met his. "You're part of the Mikaelsons. They love you very much."

"It's not the same. My real family, my _blood_ family, they're all dead."

Damon pushed away the urge to cup her face, "Caroline, blood doesn't always equal family. I bet if you asked Elena, she'd tell you the same thing."

"Why bring Elena into this?"

"Because she was adopted. She's not blood related to her parents, to Jenna, to Jeremy. That doesn't change the way that Jenna and Jeremy feel about her, does it?"

"No, but Miranda and Grayson Gilbert were actually allowed to adopt her."

Damon noticed that Caroline's gaze was fixed on the table in front of her, so he said, "Caroline, look at me." Her eyes raised and once again she was looking into his eyes, "Esther Mikaelson _is_ your mother. Klaus, Kol, Finn and Elijah _are_ your brothers. They don't need a piece of paper to know that you belong with them - it's fate. Esther was told she couldn't adopt you, but she's kept you around, she chose you. And the way that Klaus defends and protects you? I doubt he'd do that to just anybody off the street. You're special, Caroline, and they all know it."

"You think I'm special?"

Damon nodded, "Yes, I absolutely do."

Caroline blushed, "Damon, just because you compliment me and flatter me doesn't mean I'll fall into bed with you."

Damon nodded, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

-x-

Sitting in the coffee shop across the street from Caroline's shop, Damon just watched out the window. It had been a couple of weeks since their "date" at the Salvatore foundation party, and she was in his thoughts - all the time. It wasn't just a once in a while thing, either. She practically lived up there. He couldn't get rid of her. He wanted to ask her out, and had come all this way to Richmond for that very purpose. But when Damon tried to go into that damn shop to ask her out, he lost his nerve and wandered over to the coffee shop. Now he was sitting across the street, drinking some crap cappuccino and watching her shop like some stalker.

Damon was so enthralled in what he was doing that he didn't hear Esther come up and take the chair beside him until she spoke, "Lost your nerve, huh?"

Damon jumped a little, but then looked at her quizzically.

"I raised four boys, Damon. You like Caroline. I can tell; hell, it's written all over your face. So, when are you going to go over there and ask her out?"

Damon just shrugged.

"I'm going to help you out a little," Esther said, taking a slip of paper and writing something down on it. She handed it to Damon, "This is Caroline's number. You should give her a call."

Esther got up to leave, but Damon looked at her, "Do you think she'd ever go out with me? Like, a real date?"

Esther sat back down, sat her coffee cup on the table, and looked at Damon, "I'm going to give you some advice. When we first got Caroline, she was a mess. She was fifteen, and she hadn't really been accepted anywhere. She wouldn't look you in the eye, and she would definitely not spend any time alone with my sons. She was scared of them. She was afraid to take a chance - any kind of a chance. We were persistent, though, and eventually, she came around."

"What made her like that in the first place?"

"Damon, every family that Caroline had ever been with, they mistreated her. They were only nice to her when they wanted something, and after they got it, her name was lower than mud. She's been abused and hurt. But it isn't my place to tell you about it. That's Caroline's."

"If Caroline went through all that," Damon said, thinking out loud, "Then there's no way in hell she's going to give me the time of day."

"I love Caroline like she's my own daughter. I cannot imagine my life without her in it. My advice to you is to be persistent. Ask her out. And even if she says no, keep trying. Show her how you feel."

-x-

"You don't understand what I'm saying, Nik," Caroline said into the phone. "I can't ask Damon Salvatore out on a date."

"Why not?"

"Because."

Klaus laughed, "Caroline, you know that's not a real reason."

Caroline rubbed a hand over her face, "What does it matter to you, anyway? You hate Damon."

"I don't hate him," Klaus defended, but Caroline cleared her throat and he laughed. "Okay, so I dislike him very much. But you know what? It's just a date. You don't even have to start a relationship with him, just ask him to dinner or something. Caroline, it's been almost four years since you broke up with Tyler and I think you need to get back out there and see what the world has to offer you."

Caroline sighed, "I like him, Nik. I mean, I really _really_ like him, and I can't do that."

"You're afraid of falling in love again, Caroline. I get it, I really do. But you can't go through your life afraid."

"Look at everything I've been through, Nik. I have every right in the entire fucking world to be afraid. There are people out there who just..." her voice trailed off and she shuddered. "They use you up and spit you out and don't give a damn about what you want, or what you need, or even who you are. Remember the son of my first foster parents?" Caroline heard Klaus groan and say some very inventive curse words, so she knew that he was well aware of what she was talking about. "He used me up and spit me out, and then made it out to be my fault. He manipulated me like no one ever has before or since." She sighed deeply, "He proved to me that there is no such thing as a good guy."

"Well, that hurts my feelings."

"Nik, I love you and your family. You guys accepted me when nobody else did. You guys are the one good thing to come out of the system for me, and I love you all like you were my real family. But, with everything I've ever been through, I've gotta be getting punished for _something_."

"There is no one in the entire world, not even the biggest rapist or murderer, that should be punished as much as you have. Now, go to Damon and ask him out. A date wouldn't kill you."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Be careful, Nik. You're starting to sound like Elena."

"I know I liked that girl," Klaus laughed. "Go, Caroline. It'll be good for you."

"Now you _really_ sound like Elena."

-x-

"You sure he's not here?" Caroline asked Matt for what seemed like the hundredth time. She had driven to Mystic Falls as fast as she could, and it was all because of Klaus and Elena. Caroline's thought she was going crazy; why the hell would she drive almost two hours away to ask out _some guy_? It didn't make sense; Caroline would've never done that before, not _ever_.

Matt laughed, "No, Caroline, he's not here. Just because I work for Damon doesn't mean I know where he is every second of the day."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Look, Matt, I don't even have his phone number, and -" it was at that second that her phone started to ring. She gave Matt a dirty look for laughing and put it up to her ear, "Hello?"

"Hey Caroline, it's Damon."

"Damon, where are you right now?"

"In Richmond."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "And I'm here, at the Grill, looking for you. What are you doing there?"

"I was going to go and see you, but I kinda got sidetracked."

"I want to talk to you in person, Damon. How long would it take for you to get here?"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"I assume you'll be waiting for him here, then?" Matt asked Caroline when she hung up. She looked at him and said, "You know, eavesdropping isn't very nice."

"You have a very expressive face, Caroline. It's easy to read what's going on with you."

Caroline stuck her tongue out at him. He laughed and said, "Since you're waiting, do you want me to get you something to eat?"

"Yeah, sure. I'll take a cheeseburger, please."

While she sat there and waited, Caroline's mind thought back to her past. Her past relationships had just been sad. She had a pretty pathetic dating history, so why would Damon even want to go on a date with her? The way she was treated in the foster home before Esther took her in, they really did a number on her and made her feel hideous. Nothing she did was ever right, and apparently, she was not dating material, either.

Matt brought over her burger and said, "Do you want some company?"

Caroline shrugged, "Sure, I guess."

"So when are you and Damon going to stop dancing around the facts and just go out already?" Matt asked as he slipped into the seat across from her.

Caroline watched him carefully, "Excuse me?"

Matt shrugged, "It's none of my business, Care, but there's obviously a spark between you and Damon, and if you haven't noticed it, then you're more oblivious than I thought. He likes you, Caroline. Damon hasn't acted this way around a girl in years."

"Yeah, right," Caroline said, taking a bite of her burger. When she swallowed, she finished, "He probably just wants to get me into bed."

"Caroline, if all Damon wanted to do was get you into bed, he would've done it already." Matt watched her carefully before adding, "I'm not saying anything bad about your character, it's just...Damon has had a fling with almost every girl in town. Everybody except Bonnie and Elena."

"Even Jenna?" Caroline asked, mentioning Elena's aunt who had practically raised both Elena and Jeremy. Matt nodded.

"For a long time, Damon wasn't looking for a serious relationship. He just wanted flings, and every girl in town wanted him. For Damon, it was a win/win situation."

"Are you telling me not to ask him out?"

"No, it's not what I'm telling you. Caroline, I understand you've been hurt in the past, but Damon's not going to hurt you. He knows what the word 'no' means and he respects that. He's a good guy."

Caroline shook her head, "No, there's no such thing as a good guy."

"What about your brothers?"

"Do you know Nik?" Caroline asked him, but then realized, "Oh yeah, you were at the founder's party fiasco. Well, Nik is a good guy. So are his brothers, Matt, but they are the exception."

"Caroline, give him a chance," Matt said, watching the front door. He noticed that Damon had just walked in, so he said, "Good luck," and went back to the bar.

"I didn't expect to see you here for another hour or so," Caroline said to Damon, looking at her watch. Damon nodded and took a seat across from her.

"I made good time."

Caroline gave him a knowing look, "You drove like hell to get here, didn't you?"

Damon grinned, "A little."

Caroline avoided Damon's gaze and said, "Listen, Damon, I'm not good at this because I've never actually been on one, but would you like to go on a date with me?"

"Caroline, I would love to go on a date with you. But tell me, you've never been on a date?"

Caroline shook her head, "No."

Damon's eyes got wide. "Never? As in never ever?"

"Look," Caroline said, looking at him, "I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I just...well, I was with Tyler, but he never took me anywhere he didn't have to, and before him, my dating life was pretty much nonexistent."

"You never went anywhere alone with Tyler? Not even to the movies, or a museum, a picnic in the park?" Caroline was shaking her head, so Damon said, "What about dinner? No? Not even once?"

Caroline shook her head, "No, Damon, I didn't. Look, Tyler was a no-account douchebag, okay? He kept me around for one thing, and, at the time, I thought that I deserved it. I thought I deserved someone like him."

"Nobody deserves some asshole who doesn't even take them on one goddamn date," Damon half muttered, but Caroline frowned.

"Look," Damon said, tilting Caroline's chin so that she would look him in the eyes, "That wasn't towards you. You must've been through some heavy shit to honestly believe you deserved that. Nobody deserves that."

"Look, Damon," Caroline said, pushing his hand away from her face, "Let's not go into the whole Caroline's only been with douchebags discussion. I've got Elena and Nik for that. They're telling me that I need to move on from the past. I agree with them, but my dating history is just...pathetic."

Damon made a mental note just them to make sure that this was the _best fucking date_ of Caroline's life.

"How about I come pick you up tomorrow night? What do you say to about six? Can you get your work done by then?"

"Yeah, I can," Caroline said, smiling. "That sounds good."

-x-

It was around twelve-thirty when Elena answered her phone the next day, "What's up, Caroline?"

"Look, Elena, my date with Damon is in four and a half hours, and I need you to come over and help me get ready. This is my first actual date, so I don't know what to do, or what to wear, how to do my makeup -"

"Caroline, breathe," Elena said. "Everything is going to be okay. I'll be there in a couple of hours. It'll be okay, I promise."

Elena pushed end on her cell and looked at Stefan, "I've got to go to Richmond. Caroline needs me."

"What's so important?"

"She's going on a date tonight. _With Damon_ ," she added.

"Yeah, so?"

"This is what we wanted, Stefan. We wanted to get Damon out of the funk that he was in - and it worked. Caroline's crazy about him."

"How do you know that?"

"Because, Stefan, she's really nervous about going out tonight. She needs me over there. In need to be there for her. This is her first date."

"First date...as in _very first_?"

Elena nodded, "Yes. She's got a bad history and no guy ever wanted to take her out before. That's why she needs me." She grabbed her car keys and her purse, giving Stefan a peck on the lips, "I'll be home later."

Elena got to Caroline's house in an hour and a half. She let herself inside, petted Caroline's dog, Lizzy, and started up the stairs. She went into Caroline's bedroom, where she was inside her closet, looking for a dress to wear.

"I'm here," Elena announced. Caroline turned around.

"I'm glad. Now you can help me figure out what the hell to wear."

"Move," Elena commanded, and Caroline got out of the way. She held up two dresses; one was deep purple and had flowers on it, and the other was light green and satin. "What do you think?"

"I'd rather wear the green one."

"Why?"

"Because it's never been worn before. I only made it about two months ago."

"Put it on," Elena said, tossing Caroline the dress. Caroline started to take her jeans off when Elena said, "So, you nervous about tonight?"

"I am. I mean, I really really _really_ am. I don't think I've ever been this nervous about anything before in my life."

"Did you call Esther?"

Caroline pulled the dress over her head, "Huh?"

"Well, whenever a girl usually goes on a first date, they call their mother and let her know that they are going, to get advice or whatever. That's what I did."

"You were also fifteen years old, Elena."

"That doesn't matter." She looked at Caroline, "That color really suits you. Let's look through your shoes to see what you've got." Elena squatted down in Caroline's closet to look at her shoes and laughed, "You keep your shoes in a box?"

Caroline shrugged, "Well, I don't exactly have a whole lot of a selection to get some fancy rack or anything. I've got a pair of black heels - black goes with everything."

Elena's eyes widened, "It so does not. You should know that, being a fashion designer."

Caroline laughed, "I'm just a dressmaker, Elena."

Elena picked up a pair of white strappy stilettos, "You wear these?" 

"Once or twice."

"Look, Caroline," Elena said, handing her the shoes, "I think you should know that Damon has kind of a reputation, and -"

"You don't have to say anymore, Elena. I talked to Matt at the Grill yesterday, and he kind of told me about that."

"Does it change your mind about tonight?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. I still want to go out with him." She fastened the shoes and then stood up, "What do you think?"

"I think you look good. C'mon, let's do your hair and makeup."

As Elena curled Caroline's hair and helped her put her makeup on, she chatted with her. They weren't talking about anything exactly; Elena was trying her hardest to get Caroline's mind off of how nervous she was. After her hair was curled, Elena helped her clip it up and then led her over to the mirror, "Well?"

"Wow," Caroline said. She took a deep breath, "I think I'm ready."

-x-

Damon pulled up to Caroline's house precisely at six o'clock. He figured that she was probably nervous, but he could take bets on how much more nervous he was. Now, Damon had never been nervous on a first date - no, he was always the smooth talker who knew what he wanted and how to get it - but this time, it was different. He really liked Caroline and wanted more with her; he wanted a relationship with her.

God, a relationship. He hadn't wanted one of those since Katherine broke his heart six years ago. The bitch had stayed in his thoughts for a long time, and now that he was over her - which he had Caroline to thank - he had time to realize how badly he wanted one with Caroline. She wasn't just any girl. Because she was so special, he was pulling out all the tricks - flowers, candy, a nice restaurant, a moonlit walk on the beach - because he wanted Caroline to know that she deserved romance just as much as anyone else.

He couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that Caroline thought she deserved to be treated the way that dickhead Lockwood treated her. Her life must've been pretty bad to feel like she deserved that, and it made Damon angry. Even when he was just sleeping with different girls, he would never ever treat them like they were property. Whoever made Caroline feel the way that she did really twisted reality and made her feel worthless.

Damon got up to the front door and rang the bell. He was expecting Caroline to answer, but Elena opened the door.

"What are you doing here?"

"Caroline is my very best friend in the entire world and I was helping her get ready for her very first date." Elena may have said more than that, but Damon wasn't listening to her anymore. He watched as Caroline came down the stairs. She looked just like a princess. The dress, and the shoes, and her hair - she looked perfect.

"I'm going now," Elena announced, getting Damon's attention once more. "I'm going to see if Stefan wants to catch a movie or something." She looked at Caroline, "Call me after your date."

Once Elena was gone, Damon handed Caroline a bouquet of flowers. Caroline almost melted when she saw them. They were tulips, her very favorite flower in the entire world

"How did you know?" She asked him, taking the flowers and breathing them in. She went to the kitchen and put them in a vase of water as Damon followed her.

"Your mother. I called her last night."

"How did you get her number?" A confused look covered her face, "In fact, how did you get mine?"

Damon laughed, "I ran into your mother at the coffee shop yesterday."

Smiling, Caroline rolled her eyes, "It figures. Well, you cheated."

Damon shrugged, "I'd cheat again, just to see that look on your face."

Caroline blushed, but started out the door, "Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise."

He escorted her to his car and then he got in the driver's seat. They drove for about ten minutes until they reached a very fancy restaurant.

"God, Damon, this can't be it. It takes months to get into this place, and the food costs a fortune."

"This is it, Caroline. This is where I'm taking you. I've got connections with the owner, I got us reservations, and besides that, I can afford their food. It's not a big deal."

"I wasn't saying that you couldn't afford it, Damon. It's just that...well, I'm not that special."

Damon looked into her eyes, "Tonight, don't think. Ignore those standards that everybody set for you while you were in the system. This is different. I _want_ to pamper you this way."

Caroline nodded, "I'll try."

They went inside and were led to the best table in the house, which just happened to be on the patio, overlooking the beach. Caroline swooned; it was just so romantic. When they were seated, they had some light talk. Caroline was surprised that Damon didn't really talk about himself; he wanted to know more about her. He asked her questioned, and listened carefully to her answers. Caroline talked about her life as a dressmaker, and the wedding dress from hell.

"I just finished it," she said after their dinner arrived. "I call it the wedding dress from hell, because, honestly, it is. There is so much beadwork, which takes forever. I never imagined doing this much beadwork on a dress that I wasn't going to wear."

"I noticed that you make practically everything you wear," Damon observed. "It reminds me of the girl in that movie _Enchanted_."

Caroline giggled, "You watch Disney movies? Really?"

Damon shrugged, "I only know that because Elena wanted me to watch it with her. If is had been anyone else, I would have told them to fuck off, but it was Elena and she's practically a part of my family."

"Yeah," Caroline said thoughtfully. "Mine, too."

-x-

After dinner, Damon took Caroline to the beach, which was literally only a few feet away, and the first thing Caroline did was take her shoes off and wiggled her toes in the sand.

"Sorry," Caroline said, slipping the shoes off and held them in her hand, "I don't believe anyone should wear shoes unless they absolutely have to."

"You like being barefoot?"

Caroline giggled, "Yes, I do. I refuse to wear shoes unless it's absolutely necessary. When I get married, _if_ I get married, I'm getting married barefoot."

Damon laughed as they started to walk. All of the sudden, Damon got really serious and looked at her, "So, the other day, I heard Elena say that you've been in love twice. I know one of them was dick - I mean, Tyler Lockwood. Who was the other?"

Caroline hesitated for a moment, so Damon said, "How about this? I'll tell you something about me if you tell me something about you. We can share."

Caroline shrugged, "I guess that's fair. You go first."

Damon thought for a moment, "There was this girl. Her name was Katherine, and she was pretty, and fierce, and had real fire to her. She was independent of practically everybody and when she wanted something, she went for it. Sometimes she was really in your face about things, but that just added to her charm. I loved her. I really did, and I could've spent my entire life loving her, but instead, she thought it'd be more fun to play me against my brother. She thought that she could have us both. I was so stupid, I fell for it, and I started to blame Stefan, when, in truth, it was all Katherine. She was a manipulative bitch who left my heart in pieces."

Caroline nodded, "I'm sorry, Damon."

He shrugged, "It happened almost six years ago. I'm getting over it. So, now it's your turn."

"His name was Mike Jones." She sighed. "He was the son of my first foster family. He was nineteen when I was fourteen. I didn't mean to fall in love with him, it just kind of...well, it just kind of happened. We started out as fuck buddies. That's all it was, and he made it very clear that's all he wanted, and I was okay with that. I was so naive, so very stupid. It went on for about a year and a half, until I thought I was pregnant." She started to stare into space, "I remember his words when I told him. He said, 'Do whatever you want. Kill it, put it up for adoption, keep it, I don't fucking care. But you can never tell anybody it's mine.'"

Damon clenched up his fists; he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He didn't want to show too much emotion, though, since it was their first date and he didn't want to come on too strong.

"I was so sure, but I was wrong. Anyway, my foster parents found out about it and they turned against me. I had to come clean, especially since the bastard gave me an STD." A worried look came over her face as she looked at Damon, "Don't worry, it was curable. I'm clean now. I get tested every year, just to make sure. But anyway, he denied everything and made me out to look like a lying whore. I was so stupid, so naive, and I thought that he cared about me, so I lied about stuff, changing my story so he didn't look guilty. I did it to protect him. By the end of my time with that family, they had taken practically everything away from me, beat me, and made me hate myself. They made me out to be a slut, even telling me that I deserved that STD. If I could go back, I'd turn the son of a bitch in, first thing, but I loved him. I don't know why, I thought that I loved him. Now, as I'm older and wiser, I wonder if I really did, or if I just thought I did, but anyways, I was convinced that he loved me back. It turns out that he's still victimizing young girl, just like he did me."

They stopped walking and Damon turned to look at her, "You feel guilty."

"Yes," she whispered, tears starting to fall down her cheeks. "I do."

He brought his hand up and wiped away her tears, "It's not your fault, Caroline. You didn't do anything wrong. You didn't make him hurt you, and you didn't make him hurt those other girls, did you?"

She shook her head.

"That stuff they said, that was all bullshit. I know they probably beat it into you, but listen to me," he said, his hand still cupping her face. She looked at him, "You were the child. He was the adult. He should've acted like the goddamn adult instead of fucking with your head the way that he did. And as far as that family goes, they way they treated you was wrong. You were the child, you were the victim. It's not your fault."

"Nik and Elena have been trying to tell me that for the last eight years. Just because they say it doesn't make it true."

"Have you ever wondered, Caroline, if maybe you're the one that's wrong?" Damon asked gently. Caroline looked up into his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just that Klaus and Elena seem to be pretty smart. Hell, I've known Elena her entire life. But if they both think the same thing, then -"

Caroline sighed, "Maybe they're just biased."

"I don't think they are," Damon said, watching her carefully. "The more people say that something is true, then the more likely it is."


	10. Chapter 10

"So, how was this first date?" Damon asked Caroline, cutting the engine so he could talk to her. They were in her driveway, and part of Caroline just did not want this night to end.

"Different," Caroline said, not wanting to seem over-anxious. "This date was definitely different from anything I've ever imagined."

"So, that's good?"

"Yes, definitely good. I want to see you again, Damon."

"Great," Damon said, secretly relieved. "How about I give you a call in a few days and we can go on another date?"

Caroline nodded, "That would be wonderful."

They said their goodbyes and Caroline got out of the car and went into her house.

As Caroline watched Damon drive away that night out the window, a million thoughts flooded her head. Why the hell did she get so emotional with him? That was not normal. She had never gotten that emotional with anyone who wasn't family. The only men she had ever allowed herself to get emotional with were her brothers. Ever since Caroline was about fourteen, she had relied on her gut feeling - it was almost a sixth sense now, it helped her make decisions. If something felt wrong, then it probably was. But being with Damon, even spilling her guts to him, it felt so...right. It felt so damn right. She used to know Stefan and Damon Salvatore, but that was before her parents' accident, before she was catapulted into another world. This was different, though. Not only was Damon her first date, he was the first guy, outside of her friends, she felt peaceful around. It was almost like they belonged together, and - 

_Stop right there_ , she told herself. This was all new territory to her, and she needed to talk to someone. She picked up the phone and called the first person she thought of.

Twenty minutes later, Rose came through her front door. Caroline hugged her and then said, "Where's Elijah?"

"We were in town, visiting your mother. We're staying the night there. I told them that you wanted to talk, and that I'd be back later." Rose followed Caroline into the living room and sat down on the couch, "So what is so important that you couldn't talk to Elena about it?"

"Well, you see, Rose, I could've called Elena. Hell, I could've called Nik. But, I needed some fresh eyes on my predicament. Nik told me on the phone yesterdasy what he thought, and I spent a great deal of time with Elena today, so I know what she thinks. I need someone new."

"Well, I know you're a big fan on following your gut, Care. How's that going?"

Caroline smiled, "He feels amazing. I mean, the vibe I get from Damon is just..it's so peaceful. Like, it feels right. It feels so damn right, Rose, and it's scary. I can't handle that."

"Why don't you take it slow for a while? Go on a few more dates with him, and -"

"Rose," Caroline said, grabbing Rose's hand, "I cried in front of him. I actually fucking cried." Caroline ran a hand over her face, "I am so thoroughly fucked."

"Did he make you cry?"

Caroline shook her head, "No, he didn't. He asked me a question about my past and we kind of shared with each other about past...things. He told me about his first love, and...well I told him about mine."

"Look, it was probably a real lapse in judgment, but he asked me about falling in love with two douchebags, and -"

"How did he know?"

Caroline shrugged, "He overheard Elena. It's not a big deal. You know my policy, Rose; you ask, I answer. There is hardly a question I will not answer honestly."

"So answer me this then, Caroline; do you like Damon?"

"Yes. God, yes. I really do. He's intelligent, honest, and his love for his brother is just amazing. I've always been drawn to the kind of guy who is very family-oriented, and he's got a real love for his brother, and for Elena, and -"

"Damon is a good guy, Caroline. And he likes you."

"How do you know?"

Rose sighed, "I was friends with his brother, Stefan. He had invited me over to the boarding house for dinner a few times -"

"You're lying to me," Caroline said bluntly, cutting Rose off. "I know that you're not telling me the truth."

"How do you know that?"

"Your body language. I've gotten pretty good at being able to tell when someone is lying to me."

"Okay," Rose said, sighing. "So Damon and I used to be together."

Caroline raised an eyebrow, "As in together _together_? As a couple?"

Rose nodded, "We used to be a couple. It was right after Katherine broke his heart. I used to be friends with Stefan, that much is very true. Stefan and Elena hooked me up with Damon. But Damon was suffering from heartbreak, and he just kept me around for a distraction. He really wanted to be with Katherine, and for a while, I didn't mind. But he had too many issues, too much baggage, and he kept everything inside - he refused to talk about it." Rose watched Caroline very carefully before adding, "I have no ill will towards Damon, I promise. He really is a a good guy, he just wasn't ready for commitment, especially after Katherine mind fucked him. She messed with his head. And since, he'd been really - well, I don't exactly know the right word for this, maybe _selective_ is a good one - of who he opens himself up to. But he chose you, Caroline. He _wants_ a relationship with you. Especially if he told you about Katherine - he _did_ tell you about Katherine, didn't he?"

"You mean the manipulative bitch that took his heart, broke it into little pieces and then stomped all over them?" Caroline asked. Rose nodded, so Caroline said, "Yes. He mentioned her."

"Well it looks like he wants a relationship with you, Caroline. He hasn't wanted a relationship with anyone in a long time, and no offense, but if he only wanted to get you into bed, he'd have done it already."

"Wait - does Elijah know?"

Rose nodded, "He knew that I was with _a_ Damon, and when Damon showed up at your mother's house that night, he put two and two together. He doesn't really care, though; at most, he just wants to make sure that Damon will good to you. Elijah and I don't have secrets from each other."

Caroline sighed, "What the hell do I do now?"

"Well, sweetie, what is your gut telling you?"

Caroline made a face before saying, "It's telling me that I need to see him again. God, Rose! I need to see Damon again. He makes me...well, he makes me feel."

"Look, Sweetie," Rose started, "I love the fact that you've found a good guy after the bullshit you've been through. It makes me happy, and when Esther finds out, she'll be fucking ecstatic. But you need to ease into this."

Caroline gave her a quizzical look.

"You need to make sure that anything you do with Damon is what _you_ want. Don't do anything that will make you uncomfortable just because it's what he wants. I doubt he'd ever push you into anything, but just...don't get over-anxious."

"I'm scared, Rose, " Caroline said suddenly, in almost a whisper. "I really am."

"Caroline, you've been in real life and death situations. You've been beaten almost to the brink of death, you've been emotionally scarred and you've been sexually assaulted. But yet, you've picked yourself back up and moved on with your life. Why are you getting all scared over a guy?"

"I can't be hurt again, Rose. I just can't."

"Follow your gut, Care. You know, that feeling that has saved your life numerous times? It won't steer you wrong."

Caroline laughed, "For a second, I thought you were going to tell me to follow my heart."

"Hell no. It's not that I have a problem with people who follow their heart, but Caroline, with you, you need to follow your gut because your heart could contain so many emotions that you think you're doing the right thing when you're not. Go with your gut. It's never steered you wrong before."

-x-

Caroline sat in her dress shop the next day, staring out the window. Caroline was half daydreaming and half paying attention to the real world. She couldn't help herself from thinking about her date last night and what Rose had told her afterward. Her mind was screaming at her to end things with Damon before they even began. She was scared. Admitting that to Rose last night was a big step for Caroline, because she didn't like it when people could see inside her head. One of the very first things she ever learned in foster care was the fact that you don't let anybody know what you're thinking, or what you're feeling. Once they could get inside your head, they could use everything to their advantage. She had that done to her one time too many

The sound of the bell over her door snapped her back into reality, and she looked as Elena came over and sat down beside her, "You're not answering your phone."

"Did you call?"

"What's wrong with you?" Elena asked gently. "Normally, you would notice that I've called five times."

Caroline grabbed her cell phone, which confirmed that yes, Elena had called five times. Caroline looked at her best friend apologetically, "I'm sorry. I've just been thinking."

"About your date last night?"

Caroline shrugged, "About everything."

"You didn't call me after your date last night, Caroline. I don't know if I should be relieved or offended."

"I called -"

"Rose. I know."

"How did you know?"

"Well, I called Esther today because I couldn't get a hold of you, and..."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Mother told you."

"You should be happy, Caroline. Esther was ecstatic that you talked to Rose about it, and, honestly, so is Rose. Apparently, you've never really let her into your life, and -"

"Rose and Elijah have been together for three years, Elena. I still don't know her that well."

Nodding, Elena looked at her, "So? What'd you tell her?"

"I like him, Elena." Caroline sighed, shaking her head. "I can't like him."

Elena watched her friend carefully, "Because of your past? Because of Mike Jones, because of Tyler Lockwood?" Elena's gaze softened as she watched Caroline nod slightly; it wouldn't have been apparent to anyone but Elena. She learned a long time ago that it wasn't _what_ Caroline said anymore, it was the _way_ she said it.

"First of all, Caroline, that Mike Jones, he's off the table. That was almost ten years ago, Care, and if he could see you now, he'd be happy. Do you know why?"

"Because he was a sadistic son of a bitch who enjoyed inflicting pain?"

Elena nodded, "Not all pain is physical, Caroline, which you know very well. He's been inflicting you with pain for the last ten years. He's always there, in the back of your mind, and don't tell me he's not. I know he is. He makes you second guess yourself. But guess what? If the bastard could see you right now, he'd be happy. In fact, he'd be more than happy. He'd be ecstatic. Because, even though it's been almost ten years, but he's still in your head like he used to be. You need to move on, to live your life. That would piss him off, you know."

"I'm afraid, Elena."

Elena nodded, "I know you are. But I know something else."

"What is that?"

"Damon makes you feel something. Something special. Something that you've never felt before."

Caroline couldn't help herself but blush and nod.

A smile erupted on Elena's face, "Give Damon a chance, Care. He likes you, and well, he just needs a chance. He's as scarred as you are, but in a different way."

"I know. Katherine."

"Yes, Katherine. She hurt him real bad. But I know you wouldn't do that. So why don't you pick up your phone and call Damon, and ask him for a date?" Elena's eyes widened, "Ooh, I have an idea!" She said suddenly. "How about you come to Mystic Falls this weekend? Today's Friday and I know you don't work on weekends or Mondays, so you can spend the next few days at the boarding house. Sounds like fun, yes?"

Caroline shrugged, "I don't know, Elena. I'd have to call Damon and -"

"No, don't call him! That would ruin the surprise!"

Caroline made a face as she thought it over, finally saying, "You know what, I'm in."

-x-

When they got to the boarding house, Caroline went upstairs to Damon's room. She entered, seeing Damon lying on his bed, reading a book.

" _Treasure Island_? Really?" Caroline asked, laughing.

"What's wrong with it? This book is a classic," Damon answered, going back to his book. A minute later, he looked up, "Caroline?" he put the book down. "What are you doing here?"

"You know, when Elena puts her mind to something, she can be pretty damned determined."

"She asked you to come over, didn't she?"

"Yes. As a surprise."

Damon felt almost giddy as he answered, "Well, it's the best surprise I've gotten in a very long time."

Caroline smiled, but Damon saw the look on her face. It was almost a look of...horror?

"What's the matter?"

Caroline sighed, going over to his bed and sitting down on the edge, "Look, Damon, I value your friendship."

"But?" he prompted.

"But, what if this, whatever we have, doesn't work? I like you a lot, and the date went very well, but I just..." her voice trailed off. "I know what I want to say, honestly, it's just not coming out right."

"You're a realist," Damon said after a moment. "You want to know what is going to happen when we don't work out romantically. And I guess I'd tell you that, if we didn't work out romantically, that I'd really wanna be your friend."

"Is that even possible?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've never been able to be friends with my ex. So, have you ever broken up with somebody and be able to remain friends with them?"

"No offense," Damon started, watching Caroline closely, "but all your exes are extreme douchebags."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, I know. They really are. But answer my question."

"I'm not the same person I used to be," Damon said carefully. "You have to remember that. But there was one."

"Was it Rose?" Caroline asked bluntly. Damon just watched her, shocked.

"She told me about you guys. I called her up last night after you dropped me off at my house and I wanted some advice. She couldn't give me advice without telling me, because I can read people. When she said she knew things about you just because she was friends with Stefan, it didn't make sense."

"Are you angry?" he asked, almost afraid of what her response would be.

"What? That you used to date my sister-in-law?" She shook her head, "No, I'm not. It would've been nice if you told me, though."

"Honestly, I didn't know that Rose was a part of your family until I showed up for dinner that one night. I was honestly surprised to see her there. I mean, what are the odds that the woman I used to date is now your sister-in-law? I wasn't expecting to see her there, but I thought that if you knew, you wouldn't want anything to do with me." He paused for a moment, watching her closely, "What did she say?"

"She bears no ill will towards you, Damon. And I believe her."

"Please don't tell Klaus," Damon asked, and Caroline burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked her.

"I'm sorry, Damon, it's just the way that you said it. Are you afraid of Nik?"

"And his sidekick Kol," Damon added.

"Okay, firstly, Kol is not Nik's sidekick. He's just always looking to make trouble. It just seems that when Nik dislikes somebody, Kol's always with him, trying to stir up trouble. Secondly, Nik will end up knowing. Gossip runs through this family, like, fast. Mother loves to talk about her children and she loves to talk with Rose. And thirdly, if you are going to be afraid of any of my brothers, it's not Nik you should be worried about. It's Elijah."

"The guy married to Rose?"

Caroline nodded slowly, "Yes. Because he may not look it, but Elijah is the worst one to have pissed at you."

"And that's because..." Damon prompted.

"It's because Elijah is the calmest, he has the most level head. He doesn't lose his temper very often, and he's quiet."

"That should worry me?" Damon asked.

Caroline laughed to herself, "Damon, you ever hear 'it's the quiet ones you have to watch out for'?" she asked and Damon nodded. "Well, whoever said it just _had_ to have met Elijah."

-x-

"I need to talk to you."

Caroline looked up from her book the next day to see Elena standing in front of her. She sounded kind of urgent, so Caroline nodded.

"Look, I've been trying to find a tactful way to bring this up. After what happened at the founder's party, Bonnie's been trying to get me to ask someone else, but you'd be the best option..." Elena was rambling. Caroline knew that whenever Elena rambled, she was about to ask someone a favor and she thought that they'd say no.

"Elena, spit it out already," Caroline said, sighing. Whatever it was that Elena wanted, she might as well just get it over with.

"Well, I'm head of the Miss Mystic Falls competition this year. It was something that my mother did every year, and then Jenna, but Jenna is out of the state with Alaric, and -"

"Elena!" Caroline felt her patience wearing thin. "Just get it out."

"Will you do the dresses this year?"

Caroline at there for a moment, not sure what to say. Getting asked to make the dresses for the contestants was a big deal, and Caroline knew that if she did them, it'd be great press for her business. Caroline sighed before answering, "Seriously? You want me to do the dresses?"

Elena nodded, "Yes. The competition isn't for another couple of months, so it'd give you time - enough, I hope."

"Where's the catch?"

"The catch?"

Caroline nodded, "You were rambling, Elena. You only do that when you're nervous, so you know something that would make me turn you down. What is it?"

"The competition takes place at the Lockwood mansion."

Caroline nodded slowly, chewing the thoughts over in her head. She wanted to say no, but Elena was her best friend and she was asking her for a favor - after everything Elena had gone through for her, Caroline figured she could do this one thing for Elena. Besides, it really would be great press for her business.

"Yeah, okay, I'll do it. Besides, I know how to be civil."

Elena nodded, "Yeah, you do. I'm not sure that Carol does, however."


	11. Chapter 11

Caroline and Damon went out the next night. He took her to the most exclusive restaurant in town, and they had a wonderful dinner. She had scoffed at how ridiculously priced some of the things were, but he assured her that he had the money for it. There were things had Damon wanted to point out to her, like how he loved the fact that she worried about spending too much of his money, but he didn't dare say it. He wanted her to feel more comfortable around him.

The night after that was Sunday, and Caroline and Damon were cuddled up in front of the fireplace in the parlor. Damon loved the feeling of his arms around her; it felt like that was the way it was meant to be. He felt calmer around her. He felt like she was it. He could never have a single date with another person in the entire world and be happy with it.

Without warning, Caroline turned in his arms and looked at him, "Damon, there's something that I need to ask."

Damon nodded, waiting for Caroline to go on.

"What are we? I mean, what am I to you? I know we've only been on two official dates, and I feel...well, I feel some kind of connection with you that I've never felt with anybody else before."

Damon nodded, "Me, too, Caroline. I feel the same way."

"I'm really bad at this whole relationship thing, because I've only been in one real one and that was with Tyler, but Damon - would you be my boyfriend?"

Damon nodded, and Caroline turned all the way around in his lap as Damon's lips met hers. The kiss was soft, almost gentle, and inviting. Caroline reached up to run her fingers through his hair as he slipped his hands around her waist. As the kiss got more intense, Caroline broke it off.

"We should move this upstairs, don't you think?" she asked, and Damon looked at her seriously.

"Only if that's what you want," he replied.

Without answering, Caroline leapt into Damon's arms, wrapped her legs around his waist, and kissed him with everything she had. It was an exploration of Damon, she wanted to know every part of him intimately. Damon walked them up to his bedroom as Caroline attacked his mouth with hers. Once they got there, he let her down and Caroline smiled slyly at him. She started towards him, but he shook his head.

"Before we do this, Caroline, know that this will change our relationship," Damon started, watching her closely. "I want to make sure that you want to do this, because you've been pushed into sex before and I don't want to push you. I want you to be as willing as I am."

Caroline nodded, "I haven't wanted something in a long time like I want this."

"You dated Tyler Lockwood, therefore you probably slept with him. Unlike Tyler, if anything makes you uncomfortable, I want you to tell me. I refuse to push you into anything, but I know that Tyler does that with every girl he's with."

Caroline nodded as she reached for Damon's belt. He smacked her hand away.

"What the hell?"

"Because your virginity was stolen from you, and because you were pushed into having sex with Tyler, I'm looking at this as your first time, and I want it to be special for you. You deserve that much." Damon laid Caroline down on the bed, hovered over her, looked into her eyes and kissed her softly. His tongue explored her mouth as they kissed slowly, sensually. When he broke the kiss, she looked at him in the eye and said, "I've never been kissed that way before."

Damon smirked; this was going to be a night of firsts.

He undressed her slowly, taking his time, kissing the skin as it was exposed. Pretty soon, she was naked on his bed. Damon smirked and looked down at her, "Has anybody ever told you how beautiful you really are, Caroline?"

"Damon, this is making me feel uncomfortable," Caroline said in almost a whisper. "I don't know what to do here."

Damon leaned down, kissed Caroline's neck and then put his attention to her breasts. He bit and sucked lightly on a nipple and then the other. He looked up at her, "Just enjoy it, Caroline. You deserve it."

Damon kissed his way down her body until he got to her hipbone, and then started to spread her legs apart. Caroline's eyes got really wide when she knew what he was going to do, and she snapped her legs closed.

"No," she said, looking him. "I've never - I mean, nobody's ever - and you really don't have to."

"Nobody's ever gone down on you before?" he asked her. She shook her head, and he said, "Lay back, baby. I want to do this for you. I bet you taste sweet."

Damon kissed his way up her thighs, but then stopped. He saw scars on her thighs, like she had been attacked. "Caroline, what are these?" he asked her.

Caroline started to blush, "Nothing. They're nothing."

"They don't look like nothing. Did somebody hurt you?"

Caroline bolted up and looked at Damon, "I, uh, I've gotta go. Really, I, uh...I'll just...I'll talk to you later, Damon." Throwing on her clothes as fast as she could, she ran out of Damon's room, out of the boarding house and drove away. She left Damon sitting there, utterly confused at what just happened.

-x-

"What happened?" Elena asked Caroline the next day. Elena had come to Richmond to check up on Caroline, mainly because Damon had told her what happened and how Caroline had bolted out of his room the night before. Elena sat at the kitchen table while Caroline did the dishes.

"Nothing happened."

"Damon told me how you went running out of the boarding house. Talk to me, Care. You can tell me anything, you know that."

"He saw them, Elena," Caroline said in almost a whisper. "He saw my scars."

Elena raised an eyebrow and nodded, "You had to have known that he'd see them eventually."

"I forget they're there sometimes. When I'm really into something, I don't even think twice about them. But he saw them, and I wouldn't have bolted out of there, except for the fact that he asked what they were. When he finds out about it, he's going to get rid of me."

"Caroline, Damon knew you were broken from the system. He knew that when he asked you on that first date. He cares about you. People who care about other people, they don't just get rid of them."

"But what about -"

"The Joneses were douchebags. They have hurt countless girls. I mean, who does what he did and pin you against a wall, a hand over your throat and says, I love you? That's not how you show someone that you love them. Not at all." Elena was talking about Caroline's first foster father. She had screamed at him that nobody loved her, and he had pinned her up against a wall - actually pinned her there, with a hand around her throat, and said that he loved her. Caroline shuddered at the memory - that man had been scary, almost scarier than his son.

"I've got too much baggage," Caroline said, drying her hands on a towel. She was trying to get that memory out of her head. She draped the towel over the open cupboard, "Everyone lets me know."

"Who's everyone?"

"Well, there was Tyler..." her voice faded off. Elena nodded.

"I know what you're going to say," Elena said. "Tyler knew you were broken. He knew you had too much baggage. But you know what? Damon's not like that. He's never dumped a girl because she had too much baggage."

"But I bet he's never dated a girl who was as broken as me, either."

"You are a good girl, Caroline. You're sweet, and honest, and you try to see the best in people. But your best quality is your independence and your fire. You have picked yourself up off the cement too many times to count. Those scars that you have, they show the person that you used to be, and the person you are now. You don't cover them up because they stand for a part of your life that you beat, a part of your life that you survived. You should be proud that you survived all that bullshit. You have been to hell and back and you are still standing. That's got to count for something."

-x-

Caroline paced back and forth in front of the Salvatore boarding house the next going, going up to the door, as to knock, but then getting cold feet and starting to leave. This cycle happened for about twenty minutes when the door flung open and she saw Damon standing there.

"Damon, hi," Caroline said softly. She stood a few feet away from him, body hunched over, the feeling of guilt weighing her down. "We ought to...well, we should talk about the other night -"

"Caroline, I really like you," Damon said, coming closer. However, the more steps he took towards her, the more steps she took backwards. Finally, he stopped and said, "I understand that a lot has happened in your life, and I don't want to push you, but maybe we should have a talk about it. Did I do something?"

Caroline's eyes widened as she shook her head vehemently, "No, absolutely not. It wasn't you."

"Do you want to come in?"

Caroline looked around nervously before nodding her head, "Sure."

She followed Damon into the parlor. He stopped for a moment, "Do you want a drink?"

Caroline shook her head, "No, thanks."

He came over and sat across from her. He wanted to sit next to her, but he noticed how she was shying away from him at the front door, and he didn't want to make her feel uncomfortable. Caroline took a deep breath before watching him intently.

"Look, Damon, before I say anything, I need you to promise me something."

Damon made a face, "What is it?"

"I need you to promise me that, when you leave me, you won't tell anybody it's because of this."

Damon reached out to grab her hand, but she withdrew from his touch.

"I'm not going to leave you, Caroline," he said in a firm voice. "I highly doubt that there's anything you could tell me that would make me want to leave you."

Caroline took a deep breath, "Okay. I have a few scars. They're on my upper thighs, like the ones you saw. They're self-inflicted."

Damon nodded silently.

"I used to be a cutter. For a long time, I was numb. I didn't feel anything. I would walk around, like a zombie, because I couldn't feel a damned thing emotionally. I was getting beaten, day in and day out, and if I didn't cover up the bruises, I would get beaten some more. I got very good at hiding the bruises. They _enjoyed_ inflicting pain. I was always the punching bag. Whenever Mike wanted to show off for someone, he'd punch me, or push me around. He was twice my size and weighed at least two times as much as I did, and he could push me around easily. He said he was punching me because I needed to learn how to defend myself, but it was so much more than that."

Caroline was starting to zone out, but she continued talking, "Damon, I was miserable. But when I started to cut, it felt so good, emotionally, because I was feeling _something_. I put it in places that people wouldn't think to look, because when you're in foster care, people keep an eye on the visible skin, just to make sure you're not self-mutilating. They would've sent me to psychiatric hospital, and at that time, I was afraid of them. You see so much shit about them in movies, it just scared me. But then, I had had enough of them beating me and so I tried to end my own life. I slit my wrists here -" she showed him the scars on the underside of her wrists "- and they found me and sent me to the psychiatric hospital. After that, I went to some rehab for cutting. I was in rehabilitation, I stayed there for four months, and they showed me other ways to vent frustration, other ways to feel. At my time at St. V's - it's called St. Vincent's Home For Children, they help minors who aren't stable - the Joneses decided they didn't want me around anymore. And then, when the Mike thing happened, and me cutting myself, they couldn't handle me. I was too much of a handful. Me!" The tears were there, she couldn't stop them, and they started to roll down her cheeks. Caroline sighed before saying, "St. V's was the very best thing that could've ever happened to me, because after I left there, I met the Mikaelsons."

Finding his voice, Damon said, "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Caroline."

"Look," Caroline said, tears still spilling from her eyes, "I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I despise it when people feel sorry for me. I survived, didn't I?" she said, wiping away the tears with the back of her hand. "I'm a survivor."

Damon moved over so he was sitting next to her and he leaned her so that she was putting her head on his shoulder, "Caroline, I'm not going to leave you. That stuff you went through, it makes me angry. They got away with it, and that pisses me off. The state pays them to take in children who have no one else, and this is what they do with it?"

"Look, Damon," Caroline said, tears threatening to spill once more, "I'm not sorry I went through all that. At all. I'm a stronger person because of it. If they hadn't inflicted me with so much pain, I wouldn't be the strong, independence, fierce woman that everyone knows. It made me a stronger person. I feel like I could do absolutely anything, like I could get through any kind of situation."

"Did you ever try running away?" Damon asked suddenly. Caroline nodded.

"Yes. Every fucking time I could. They always sent Mike out after me."

_  
"Little Caroline!" Caroline heard Mike's deep voice as she was ducking through the woods, trying to get away. She ran faster than he did, but he wasn't afraid of anything. No matter where she went, he could always find her. They were literally in the middle of nowhere. The closest place was a motel - a small, family owned one - and she knew the kids of the family. She would go over there and they would give her something warm to eat and some fresh clothes to put on. But today, things were not going as planned. As Caroline ran through the woods, she tripped over a tree branch and fell flat on her face. She was mere minutes away from being caught, so she decided to double tie it and ran faster than she could. Out of nowhere, she tripped again, and that's when she heard his voice, "Boo."_

_"Mike, just let me go," Caroline pleaded as he grabbed her arm. "Please. I can go away and your family has nothing to do with me ever again. Just please, let me go." She was desperate, and begging, which she knew he liked, but he just shook his head._

_He added pressure and twister her arm behind her back, "I can't do that, LC," he said, twisting with even more force than necessary. "My family will lose a lot if you ran away."_

_"Let go of me, please?!" Caroline cried, tears springing to her eyes, but he kept twisting until she heard a sickening crack, followed by blinding pain. Her arm was broken. He had a sadistic smile on his face as he said, "With a broken arm, my parents are going to want to know where you are every minute of the fucking day."  
_

"Who's LC?" Damon asked after hearing Caroline's story.

"I am. It stood for Little Caroline. I was eleven when they took me in, and Mike took to calling me Little Caroline. As I got older, he shortened it to LC."

"He broke your arm? On purpose?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes, he did. He kind of lost control that time. All that he had usually done was leave bruises, but that time, he just couldn't help himself..." her voice trailed off. She shook the thoughts out of her head.

"Why didn't you tell anybody?"

Caroline shrugged, "I did, at first. I only made that mistake once. My case worker launched an investigation, but my foster parents had excellent poker faces. Whenever Jeanette would come around, they would act like loving parents, and Mike would act like the concerned brother. But, in reality, Mike was a sadistic bastard, only concerned with getting his rocks off. That's all I was good for, and he let me know it, too."

"But what about the bruises? Nobody noticed them?"

Caroline sighed, "I told them that I was clumsy. I was clumsy, fell down stairs, rain into doors, slipped and fell on the kitchen floor..." Caroline sighed again. "You know, people will believe damn near anything."

Damon tilted Caroline's chin up so that she was looking into his eyes, and he said, "Caroline, you are so much better than what they've made you out to be. You're smart, beautiful, independent, very successful." Damon brushed a strand of her golden hair away from her face, "You're so much better than those people. You've made a name for yourself, and you have so much more than you ever did. And let me tell you something right now, Caroline Forbes. You are a strong woman and I'm glad to call you my girlfriend. I'm proud of you, for defeating everything you've ever been through and continuing to live your life. And you are better for way more than just sex."

"We haven't even made it that far," Caroline said as she sniffled her tears back.

Damon nodded, "But don't underestimate my patience. Believe me, I can wait."


	12. Chapter 12

"I've got to go, Damon," Caroline said, almost exasperated. Damon had been following her around for almost an hour, trying to get her to stay another night. "I've got to open up shop tomorrow at eight AM. I don't want to have to get up at five to get there in time."

"Then let me come stay with you," Damon said. "I want to spend more time with you, and I think that it'd be a nice break for me. I've been working too damn hard, anyways."

"Damon, you don't have a bartender."

Caroline was pretty sure that she saw a pout forming on his lips, "You're right. I don't."

"If I can interrupt," a voice said behind them, "I can tend bar pretty damn well."

Caroline turned around to see Kol Mikaelson. She smiled, "What the hell are you doing here, Kol?"

"That's a nice way to greet your favorite brother," Kol said with a smirk.

Caroling laughed, "No, seriously, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I had some free time, so I came to see you. I haven't seen you in a few days."

"Got fired again, huh?" Caroline asked sympathetically.

"You act like I get fired every other week. I just haven't found my calling yet," he said, looking at Caroline, then Damon. "But it sounds like you have a problem, and I'd like to help."

"Can you tend bar?" Damon asked. Kol nodded.

"Let me show you what I can do," Kol said, jumping behind the bar.

For a good part of the next hour, Damon was drilling Kol on how to mix drinks and so forth, to see what he could do. A few customers even came in and Damon let Kol tend to them. Caroline sat at a table across from the bar and watched Damon drill her brother.

"You know, my brother just saved you," Caroline said to Damon once he was sitting beside her.

He nodded, "Yeah, I know. So, how about you let me come stay with you? I don't have an obligation to be here to tend the bar."

"Honestly, I'm surprised that Kol's never been a bartender before. He's been mixing drinks since he was legal." Caroline was dodging, and she knew it. This was the second time that Damon asked if he could come stay with her, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to share her space with him. She liked the fact that she didn't have to share her space with anybody, and, even though she and Damon hadn't technically been together very long, she felt some kind of connection with him. She liked him. It was comfortable to be around him, but she kept telling herself that that was how every relationship started. She was worried about what would happen after he got to her house.

She had every right to be worried - or, at least, that's what she told herself. The abuse with Tyler didn't start until they had moved in together. When they were in a "dating" phase - which, honestly, didn't even deserve the word, because he had never taken her on one single date - he was sweet, and kind, and opened doors for her and everything a gentleman would do. IT wasn't until they got more comfortable, seeing her space and staying with her, that he had started to show his douchebag side.

"I noticed when you asked him if he got fired, you said _again_. Is there something I should know?" Caroline was honestly glad when Damon seemed to take the lead with what she just said. Yes, she could talk about Kol's failure at jobs better than she could talk about her own emotions.

"Kol's a good guy, and a good worker, Damon. The thing is, he's had a few jobs that just weren't his speed."

"Like?"

"Like the bakery delivery boy, the construction worker, the florist delivery boy, and the fast food joint worker, just to name a few. He's always wanted a long term job, but he just hasn't found his calling But I think this bartending just might be it."

"so how about it?" Damon asked Caroline after a moment. "How about I come stay with you?"

Caroline hesitated for a moment. She was pretty sure her eyes widened as well, and prayed that Damon didn't see it. The most baffling part of this scenario, however, was the fact that she was actually thinking about letting him. She was actually thinking about telling him yes. Her head screamed at her, _He can't come over! That's when all hell will break loose!_ But no matter how loudly her head screamed, her heart just wasn't listening. Finally, Caroline nodded, "Sure. That would be nice."

-x-

Caroline stood outside her house with Damon, unlocking her door, when Damon said, "How many locks do you have here, Caroline?"

Caroline shrugged, "About four."

"Why so many? I mean, what are you afraid of?"

"It's not that I'm afraid of anything, _per se_ , it's more like safety is underrated. I sleep much better with all these locks on my door." She opened the door after unlocking it, and Damon stepped inside. He hadn't even stepped inside fully when Caroline's dog, Lizzy, came running towards him. She practically knocked him over, but he caught himself before he fell. Lizzy sniffed him and he turned to Caroline, "You have a dog."

Caroline nodded, "Yes. I've had her for a while."

"She's a fucking big dog," Damon commented. "German Shepherd, yes?"

Caroline nodded.

"I hope you feel safe, with all those locks and that big dog to protect you," Damon said.

"That's kind of the idea," Caroline said. For a moment, Damon wanted to ask Caroline why she had all those locks and this great big dog, what was she afraid of? He wanted to ask her, but this was his first time being at her house, and he didn't want Caroline to feel uncomfortable. He didn't want her to feel like bringing him home was a mistake.

After a few minutes, Lizzy went over to Caroline and Damon took the time to look around her living room. It was a nice, spacious living room, but the thing that grabbed Damon's attention was the pictures. She probably had at least twenty something pictures around the room. Elena was almost in most of them. The one that grabbed Damon's attention the most, however, had the Mikaelsons, Elena and Caroline in it, and she couldn't have been older than seventeen. She looked happy. There was a sparkle in her eyes, something that seemed to have died since then. She had her arm around Elena, and they looked like they were giggling. She looked so carefree. There were also quite a few pictures of Caroline with Klaus, as well. Damon was almost jealous of Klaus in that moment; he knew a side of Caroline that Damon might never know.

That night, Damon cooked her dinner. Caroline had food in her house - in fact, she had enough food to survive the apocalypse. Damon was surprised at how much food she had.

"It's because I grew up not knowing where my next meal was coming from, Damon," she had explained. "I went days without food, sometimes having to steal my next meal. Ever since, I need the security of knowing I have enough food. It's my security blanket."

Damon made her something special - spaghetti. As they ate, they talked.

"Tell me about your family," Damon said, and Caroline watched him for a moment.

"I don't know," she responded slowly. "They're family. You've met them."

"Tell me about how you fit in."

"Huh?"

"I mean, how did you become one of them?"

Caroline sighed, "It took time. And when I say time, I meant a lot of it. I'd been hurt by everyone, and I literally had no one. My only living blood family, my Grandma Forbes, she died a few months before my parents' accident, so there was nowhere for me to go. And when I went to the Mikaelsons, I hated them. I hated them because I couldn't afford to like them."

"Why not?"

Caroline debated the answer to this question in her head for a moment. Honesty was always her policy. Ask her a question, and she would answer it as honestly as she could. She figured her past was her past, it happened, and she didn't care about talking about it. After chewing it over in her head, she finally decided to give an answer, "I went through a phase where I hated everyone because I was afraid to like them. If anybody got too close to me, I'd push them away. I'd say awful things, be violent, I'd even block the whole world out. I knew I had myself, I could take care of myself, but what if these people left me? What if they died? Or worse, what if they just decided that they hated me, and just disappeared?" This was the most vulnerable Damon had ever seen her, and he felt for her. He couldn't imagine what she went through, or how she felt. However, Caroline was leaving something out. The phase that she was talking about was still going on. She was afraid to let anyone, besides the Mikaelsons or Elena, get too close. She sighed before saying, "The only exception, though, was Elena. It's always been Elena."

"What about when you were away at school?"

"She's come up and visit me, you know," Caroline said with a smile, and Damon realized that this was the only time he had ever seen Caroline smile at a memory from college. "She'd come up and I'd get her a hotel room for the weekend. Tyler always forbade her to spend the weekend with us. I think it's because he didn't want her to know that he hit me, but she knew. Elena always knew. She was different than most people, though. Most people, my brothers included, would have told me that I didn't deserve to be treated that way, and that I needed to move on my life, but I know me, and at that point in my life, I would have just rolled my eyes. But Elena waited until I was ready. She saw me get hurt, she waited until she thought I was ready, and then she gave me the courage I needed to end things with him. If it wasn't for Elena Gilbert, I'd probably still be with that jackass, broken and bruised."

"Was she the only contact you had from your old life?" Damon asked her softly.

Caroline nodded, "Yes. Elena watched after me. My first foster family made me cut ties with everybody from my old life, but Elena and I would email each other secretly. She knew everything that was happening - everything with Mike, everything with his parents, even me getting put into rehab. She even came to visit me a couple of times. When I got put into the Mikaelson house, I don't know how she knew, but the very next day, she called me to make sure I was okay. That very weekend, she came up to see me and meet my mother and brothers."

"But I thought that Klaus didn't meet her until later?"

"He didn't. He was at the VA hospital. He had gotten wounded in Iraq and had shrapnel in his leg - they weren't even sure if he'd be able to walk again. So everybody else met Elena, but Nik did not. He knew _of_ her, though. When he got better, he went back into the service, and was away when I was with Tyler."

"He doesn't know how Tyler treated you?"

"That's not it," Caroline said, chewing her words over carefully. "By the time Nik got back, I ha broken up with Tyler. I had these days where I could barely pull myself out of bed in the morning, and I was staying at Mother's, along with Nik. He's always known me so well, so he knew something was up. He eventually cornered me and asked - well, more like _demanded_ \- that I spill my guts. So I did."

"So, who knew Tyler was an abusive douchebag?"

"Elena."

"Yeah, I gathered that. I mean, who else?"

Caroline shook her head, "Elena. That's it. I still get mad at myself. After surviving everything I went through in my adolescence, I put up with it until I was twenty-one years old. I have been through a lot and have all this strength, but when it mattered the most, I lost my nerve. I stayed with Tyler for almost four years. Elena knows absolutely everything about me - she knows my past, she knows my secrets, she knows everything I've ever gone through."

-x-

After dinner that night, Caroline told Damon that she had to go work on her sketches. Damon looked at her quizzically.

"I'm doing the dresses for Miss Mystic Falls this year," she explained. "Elena asked me to."

Damon was kind of wary, "I don't know, Caroline. After the founder's party, aren't you afraid of another run in with Carol?"

Caroline shook her head, "It doesn't worry me. Elena asked me to do this, and, after the hundreds of things she's done for me, I figured I could do this one thing for her. Besides, I can be civil."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure Carol can," Damon said, following Caroline up the stairs.

"I lost my nerve at my last run in with Carol, Damon," Caroline explained. "Usually, I'm not like that, but it's the first time seeing her since I broke up with Tyler, and it was just an inconvenient time." She turned into her sewing room, flipping the light on, "I really do appreciate you saying something to her for me, though, Damon. That was very gentlemanly."

Damon shrugged, "She was saying bullshit. She needed to be put in her place."

Caroline reached into a drawer in her sewing machine table and grabbed an oversized sketchpad. She grabbed a pencil out of the holder on the table that was in there and sat down to start her work.

"You can sit if you want," Caroline said, patting the chair next o hers. "Or, you can go downstairs and watch TV, or whatever. I usually put music on," Caroline motioned to the iPod dock that was on the table.

Damon sat beside her.

"Listen, Damon, I want to know something," Caroline started, opening up her sketchpad and getting to work.

Damon nodded, "Sure."

"What is it about me? I mean, there's something you like, right? What is it?"

Damon picked up a tool from the table and started to fiddle with it as he replied, "You're refreshing, Caroline. You're independent, but not too much; just enough. I've seen both types; I've been with girls who are so independent that they don't need me around except to look good, and I've been with girls who are so dependent on me to take care of them. You're the middle ground, and you're perfect."

Caroline reached over and took the tool out of Damon's hand, "Don't play with that, it's sharp. It's what I use to cut material, other than scissors. It's easier to cut straight lines with this."

Damon shrugged, "It looks like a pizza cutter to me."

"Was one of those girls Katherine?" Caroline asked, getting back on subject, and then immediately felt guilty for asking.

Damon nodded slowly, "Yes. The overly independent one was Katherine. She was independent to a fault. She didn't need me; she didn't need anybody. Made me feel out of my place sometimes, but I loved her so much that I didn't care."

There was a moment of silence before Caroline added, "I'm sorry I asked you about her. I just wondered..." her voice trailed off.

"Don't apologize, Caroline. Much like you have a past, I do, too. Katherine was my past. But I'm here, with you, because I choose to be. I want to know you. I want to know what makes you happy, what you do when you're angry, what makes you depressed, and how to fix it. I want to know your greatest hopes, and fears, and everything that makes you tick. I want to experience it firsthand. I want to be with you, Caroline, and don't think about getting rid of me. I'm going to be here whenever you need me, and I'm not leaving any time soon."

Caroline smiled, "You know, Esther Mikaelson said the same thing to me about ten years ago."


	13. Chapter 13

Caroline hated to leave Damon and go to work the next day, but she had to. She had called her mother to come in so she could show her the sketches for Miss Mystic Falls. Esther finally came in around ten, and Caroline practically jumped wen she saw her. She was happy her mother was here; not just because she was here to help her with the Miss Mystic Falls dresses, but because she could take her mind off of Damon.

God, Caroline wasn't sure what to do about Damon. She had wanted a relationship with him, but it was different. She was used to being in her nice, safe shell, and this was outside her comfort zone. After all, it was called it a comfort zone for a reason. Caroline cursed inwardly at even agreeing to be Damon's girlfriend. She wasn't sure what had possessed her to do such a thing. She didn't distrust Damon, _per se_ , but he was a man, and as far as she knew, all men were the same.

Caroline knew what Elena would tell her. In fact, she could even hear Elena's voice in her head. _You can't judge every man you meet on Tyler and Mike. They were awful people, they used people up and spit them out. They saw you, a girl broken by the system, and they used it to their advantage._ In fact, Elena had told her these things on more than one occasion.

Esther came into her office and interrupted her thoughts. When Caroline got out the sketches, Esther got excited and they spent the next several hours talking about the dresses. Caroline told her mother that she was going to go to Mystic Falls next week to start the measuring for the dresses.

"Is there anything else going on, Caroline?" Esther asked, and all of a sudden, Caroline was suspicious.

"Why would you ask that? Have you been talking to Kol?"

Esther shook her head, "No. Why? Is there something I should know?"

Caroline sighed; she got herself into this. She looked at her mother, "No, not at all." Caroline could tell by her mother's face that she suspected something, but Esther said nothing about it.

Caroline filled her mother in on Kol getting hired to tend bar. She explained that she and Damon were dating now (which made Esther grin like a madwoman), but left out that he was staying with her right now. That was a can of worms she just didn't want to open yet.

Around four thirty, Esther looked at Caroline, "Are you picking up Niklaus at the airport?"

Caroline looked at her watch. She had totally forgotten that Klaus needed to be picked up at the airport, and she froze for a moment. She realized that Klaus had been staying with her the last few months and was going to find out about Damon being there. _Oh shit,_ she thought, _he's definitely not going to like this._

"Caroline?" Esther asked, snapping Caroline out of her thoughts. "Are you going to pick up Niklaus at the airport?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes. I am."

"You better get going then. His flight lands in about five minutes. You're going to be late."

Caroline sighed and walked out of the shop. She debated for a moment calling Damon and warning him, but decided against it. She wanted to talk to Klaus first.

-x-

"Hey, Care," Klaus said as he got into her passenger's seat that afternoon. "You look like you'e got some heavy shit on your mind."

Caroline nodded, "I've got to talk to you, Nik."

"Sounds serious," he said, chuckling. She had a solemn look on her face and it worried him.

"Okay, spill it, Caroline. What happened?"

Caroline was trying to figure out how to tell him. She wasn't sure what would make it better. She could just say to him, _Hey Nik, guess what? Damon and I are dating, and he just happens to be home right now._ That just didn't sound good to her. She was afraid he'd flip out.

Caroline sighed, "Damon Salvatore is at home."

Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"He and I, we're kind of...well, we're kind of together." She said it as quickly as she could, trying to get it out. She was using the band aid effect - do it fast, it might not hurt so much. Klaus just watched her.

"Okay, I'll explain," she said, realizing that she probably needed to put in some background information. She told him about the dates they went on, her staying the night at the boarding house, even taking Damon home with her. Klaus listened to everything that Caroline had to say without interrupting once.

"So, do you guys sleep together?" Klaus asked, once Caroline was finished.

"We haven't had sex, if that's what you're asking."

Klaus gave her a look and then laughed, "No, I wasn't asking that. I wanted to know where he has been sleeping."

"Oh, okay," Caroline said, blushing. "On the couch. He only came home with me last night, Nik."

"Wait - you brought him home and you're making him sleep on the couch?"

"I didn't have a say in it. He said he wanted me to feel more comfortable and he insisted he sleep on the couch. It was his idea."

"That gives him points, I guess," Klaus said. "So, how is lover boy? I mean, he's behaving himself, yes?"

Caroline nodded, "He's being a perfect gentleman."

Klaus nodded.

"Drop me off at Mother's house," he said to her after a moment. "Elijah and Kol wanted to have a guy's night tonight, so I'm staying there."

"You don't even want to go home to get your car?"

Klaus shook his head and Caroline sighed, "This is because of Damon, isn't it?"

Klaus shook his head again, "No, it's not. I really did promise Kol and Elijah that we could have a guy's night, that is the God's honest truth, I swear."

Caroline nodded, but Klaus figured something else was up, "What's going on in your head, Caroline?"

She was silent, so Klaus asked, "Do you like him?"

Caroline sighed, nodding, "Yes, I do. I like him quite a bit, actually."

"So, what's the problem?"

"I like him too much, Nik. I like him too much."

"Not everybody is going to abandon you. We didn't abandon you, did we?" Caroline shook her head, so Klaus continued, "And I want you to get that thought of your mind right now."

"What thought?"

"The one you're thinking. About my father."

Caroline's silence confirmed what she was thinking, and Klaus nodded, "You've never met the man, so I can tell you things that you don't know. Father was cold, he was cruel, and he was heartless. He made a shitty father. He wasn't exactly abusive, _per se_ , but he was very verbally mean to every one of us - except Rebekah. She was almost six when he left and she was too young to really understand what was going on. All she knows is that when she woke up one morning, he was gone. Now, Kol, Finn, Elijah and I weren't unhappy to see him go - except for the fact that he left my mother heartbroken. No matter what Father said to her, she loved him. She loved him then, and probably always will. The only reason he stayed with Mother to begin with was because she was pregnant with Finn, and he felt like he needed to stick around. I don't miss the man, not at all, and if that makes me sound heartless, then so be it."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"Love is not a weakness, Caroline. Just because you've gotten heartbroken in the past, that's no reason to barricade yourself in your own little world. Damon is not my father; he's not Tyler or Mike, either."

"You hate Damon Salvatore."

"I don't _hate_ Damon, Caroline. I don't exactly trust him, but I'm betting that he can make you happy. Besides, you trust your friend Elena, right?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes, I do, with my life."

"So trust her. She's known Damon Salvatore her entire life, and she trusts him. The very first day I met her and commented about Damon's ways, she defended him pretty vehemently. Besides, if he just wanted to have sex with you, do you think he would've taken you on two dates and spent a fortune on you? Where'd he take you?"

"Well, he took me to Mario's -"

"That really fucking expensive restaurant in Richmond? The one where you have to have reservations for, like, six months before you can get in?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, that's the one. He took me there for our first date."

"Do you think he would impress you like that if he just wanted to sleep with you?"

Caroline shrugged, "Maybe that's the way he works."

"Think about what you just said, Caroline. A guy doesn't work that hard just for a piece of ass."

"Yeah, well, I've been around, Nik, and some guys call it sport."

"I'm not talking about putting trust in the man, Caroline. Just - a little faith won't kill you."

Caroline shrugged as she pulled up to her mother's house. Klaus grabbed his bag and opened the door. Before he shut it, he said, "Thanks for the ride, Care. I expect to be able to talk to Damon tomorrow."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, I kind of figured."

-x-

When Caroline got home that night, the house was mostly dark, so she figured that Damon wasn't there. She unlocked the front door and stepped inside, and what she saw surprised her.

The living room and hallway were practically covered in bouquets of tulips. Damon must've remembered that her favorite flower was a tulip. Caroline's mind went back to their very first date, where Damon brought her tulips, and she smiled. She went through the living room, into the dining room, and saw even more tulips. He must've bought out at least six flower shops with all the tulips that were there. She set her keys down on the dining room table and peeked into the kitchen - he wasn't in there, but it smelled like food, like someone had been cooking. She started up the stairs and saw it - rose petals leading into her bedroom. The path of rose petals went in through her bedroom to the master bath, where she saw a flickering light. Caroline went in to investigate. Damon was sitting at the edge of the bathtub, drawing a bath.

"What's this?" Caroline asked him, finding her voice. Damon got up and came over to her.

"I wanted to do something special for you. Now, don't worry about this; I'll go somewhere else while you take this bath, but I drew one for you."

"Why?" Caroline asked. It felt like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

"Because I wanted to show you that you're special, Caroline."

"Look, Damon, you definitely did not have to do all of this," Caroline said while Damon leaned over and turned the water off. "This must've cost a fortune."

Damon put a finger to her lips, "This was worth it, though, for you."

"You're going to go broke doing special things for me," Caroline said, and it made Damon smile.

"Then it's money well spent."

 _Oh my God,_ Caroline thought, _does he even know how fucking romantic he is being?_ She felt like she could've died and went to heaven. Nobody had ever been this romantic to her, not ever. She was out of words, wishing she had a way of telling him how much she appreciated it, but the only thing she could come up with was, "Thank you."

"I'll leave so you can take your bath now, Caroline," he said, and he left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Caroline was caught up in her thoughts while she bathed. Damon _was_ right; the bath was really great. She thought about what Klaus had said in the car. Caroline was well aware that she pushed people away, but when you have the past she had, you learn to push people away. She learned early on that any feelings that you had - any at all - could be used against you if the right person knew you had them. She had learned to guard her feelings, guard everything like it was the biggest secret of your life.

After she finished bathing, Caroline got out, and wandered into her bedroom to get some pajamas. She pulled some pajama pants out of her dresser and a t-shirt she had stolen from Klaus years ago came out of her closet. She got dressed and went down the stairs. She looked around the living room, but Damon was nowhere to be found. She wandered into the dining room, and smelled food, so she went into the kitchen. Damon was bent over, pulling something out of the oven.

"I cooked dinner for us," he said, and she gave him a surprised look.

"What?" he asked, almost defensively. "Don't you think I can cook?"

"Well, you cooked last night, but it was spaghetti, so I figured -"

"You figured that I could cook much? Caroline, I'm Italian. Besides that, I love to cook."

"And what did you make?"

"I made chicken marsala. Your mother told me it's one of your favorite dishes." Damon brought a plate out into the dining room and lit the candles that were there.

"Wow," Caroline said. That was all she could manage; she was having a hard time believing everything that was happening.

Damon dished up dinner and sat across from Caroline, "Tell me about your day."

Caroline sighed, "Mother came into the shop today. She looked over the sketches I did and said she'd help me with the measuring and everything."

"That's good. Elena will be happy to hear it." Damon seemed genuinely interested. Caroline wondered if he was always this interested in what everybody had to say, or if it was just her. Caroline took a bite of her dinner, "Oh my God, Damon, this is amazing!" She exclaimed. Damon smiled.

She took a deep breath. Klaus' words were bugging her, and she decided that she was going to share, even if it was just a little bit. This was it; it was either now or never.

"Damon, do you want to know why I got Lizzy? Or when I did?"

Damon nodded as he took a bite. Caroline took another deep breath before saying, "I got her after Tyler and I broke up. In fact, I got her right after. I left him on a Friday, and I went out and bought her on Saturday. I came back home to Richmond that day, and I had Lizzy with me. I've always been an animal person - I just love them - but I needed the security. I needed to know that I was protected, because when I left Tyler, he said to me, and I quote, 'You'll be back. I'll make sure of it.' So, the very next day I went out and got Lizzy. She's been trained very well, and she makes me feel safe. With her here, I feel safer than I ever did before."

Damon had an indescribable look on his face; it was one that Caroline couldn't exactly peg. After a moment of silence - which felt more like five years than two minutes - and then he said, "Is that why you have all those locks on your door?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes, it is. It's also why I have the security system."

"Is that why you moved back to Richmond? So you wouldn't have to worry about running into him?"

She debated lying to him. She thought about going back into her nice, safe shell, where things were always safe and she didn't have to worry. She reminded herself of her mother and Klaus' words, so she nodded, "Yes. That's why."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that, Caroline," Damon said honestly. Caroline nodded.

"Has he tried to contact you since you got here?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. That run-in with Carol I had at the founder's party all those months ago was the first time I'd talked to a Lockwood since the split. But Tyler is a coward, and he knows that I have a Marine protecting me. Besides, he's afraid of Elijah."

Damon looked at her, "Elijah? The quiet brother?"

Caroline nodded, taking another bite of her dinner. "Damon, Elijah is a private investigator. He's very good at his job, and that includes finding people who don't want to be found, and sometimes, making people disappear. Elijah was offered a position at the CIA, but he turned them down. He has a problem with authority."

"Remind me never to piss him off," Damon said with a nervous laugh.

After dinner, Damon cleared the dishes and Caroline followed him into the kitchen. Caroline watched him closely, and thought back to those romantic things he did for her. He drew her a bath, he cooked her dinner, and she didn't even want to start thinking about how much money he must've put into those flowers that were all over her house. She thought about how sweet it was, and how he must care if he did things like that for her, and she realized she was holding back. She wanted to be with him - in every way possible, at that. So, without warning, Caroline grabbed the collar of Damon's shirt and pulled him down for an earth-shattering kiss. Damon got so caught up in the kiss that he backed her up against the wall and they were making out ferociously. His kisses were so perfect; they felt like heaven. He kissed her gently, but passionately. The kisses were so intense that he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around him. He started kissing down her neck, and she found the will to speak, "Maybe...oh _God_..maybe we ought to take this up to my bedroom."

Damon lifted Caroline, her legs around the waist, and carried her up the stairs. Once they got to her bed, he dropped her down onto it and just looked at her. He hovered over her, capturing her lips with his once again. This time, the kiss was slow, almost agonizingly so. The kissing continued until they had to break apart to breathe, and Damon took that as a hint to start kissing down her neck. Caroline moaned, it just felt so good. She felt Damon smirk against her skin as he continued his way down her neck. She leaned up so he could remove her shirt and bra, and he threw them behind him, not caring where they landed. He leaned down, taking a nipple in his mouth while kneading the other breast. She let out another moan. His mouth switched places with his hand, doing the same thing to the other one. He took a moment to look at her body - to really look at it - and she was beautiful. He pulled her to the edge of the bed and knelt down on his knees so that he was level with her core, and he started to push her legs apart. Instinctively, she snapped them shut.

"Relax, Caroline," he said. He ran a finger down the inside of her thigh, and she shivered and relaxed her legs for him. He kissed his way up her calves, up her thighs, taking time to pay attention to the scars on her legs. He knew she didn't are, but he wanted to love her all of her - and those scars represented part of her life that Damon wished he could just kiss away. He hated been thinking about the horror she must've gone through, and how painful life was for her to even want to do that to herself.

When she felt his tongue on her clit, Caroline jumped. It was a sensation different fro what she'd ever felt, and she loved it. It wasn't long before she was writhing beneath him, and he smirked against her skin. He inserted one, then two fingers inside of her and started to pump them in and out, slowly, as he took the bundle of nerves into his mouth, sucking on it lightly. The moans that escaped from Caroline's mouth told him everything that he needed to know; she loved this. He curled his fingers up inside of her and her back arched up off the bed. Sucking on her clit, he bit it gently and she felt apart. She actually screamed when she came, which never happened, ever, and she literally saw stars in front of her eyes.

Damon got up, wiping his mouth, after she came down from her high, and he grinned at her.

"Okay, so you were right," Caroline said, and Damon couldn't help the laugh that escaped his lips.

She stood beside him, giving him a kiss, which he deepened, thrusting his tongue in her mouth, and she moaned. She had always thought that the taste of her on his lips would turn her off, but instead, it just turned her on even more. She paused so she could rip the clothes from his body so he was as naked as she was. She started to kneel, to return the favor to him, but he grabbed her hands and lifted her up so she was standing again. She looked at him in confusion.

"I'm trying really hard to make this special, Caroline, but I need to be inside of you, like, now," he said, and he went over to the bed. He lay down and pulled her with him, "I want you to ride me."

Caroline hesitated for a moment. She had never actually been on top before, as the guys she'd ever been with were all about control. Damon seemed patient, though, as she went over to her nightstand and pulled out a condom. She was thankful that she was prepared. She rolled it onto him and then slid down on his length, slowly. Once he filled her, she paused for a moment before rotating her hips, giving herself time to adjust to his length. It had been a while since she had been filled like this, and had honestly forgotten how good it felt. She started moving on his length, slowly grinding herself against it. She looked down and saw that he was keeping eye contact with her, and she immediately wanted to shy away. She just couldn't look him in the eye - it was too intimate, and it was something that she'd never done during sex before. Her thoughts started to shut down as she was filled with pleasure and she started moving harder and faster. She started bouncing up and down on him and was moaning louder than she had ever before.

"C'mon, baby, just let it go," Damon said, reaching in-between them, pinching her clit. That was all it took. Again, she screamed when she came, and it took her by surprise. She had just had one of the most intense orgasms of her entire life. Surprising Caroline, Damon flipped them over so he was on top, and said to her, "I want you to come one more time for me, baby," and he moved faster inside of her. He took a nipple in his mouth and gently bit it, and Caroline moaned loudly. He kissed up her neck to her lips, and kissed her passionately. It was one of the most gentle kisses she'd ever gotten in her entire life, and so full of passion that she felt like she could explode. Damon reached in-between their bodies and pinched her clit between the length of his fingers, and she exploded. She literally saw stars and screamed when she came. It wasn't long after she came that Damon came, too. Damon pulled out of her, pulling the condom off, disposing it in the wastebasket that was by her bed as Caroline got up and went into the bathroom. After a few moments, Caroline came back out, dressed. Damon was almost upset, but then thought, maybe she didn't like to cuddle afterwards. Instead of being hurt, he said to her, "Come back to bed with me."

"You like to cuddle?" she asked him, surprised. He nodded and she climbed into bed with him, pulling a blanket over them, "I, uh...I've always been with guys who didn't like this part. It was always get in, get the job done, get out."

"Well, I love this part," he replied honestly.

They hadn't been lying together for very long when Caroline's eyelids started to feel heavy. Right before she drifted off, she felt at peace; she felt like finally, for once in her Godforsaken life, something was going to come out right.


	14. Chapter 14

Sighing, Caroline walked out of her office as she heard the bell above her shop door chime. She stopped in her tracks when she saw Elena standing there.

"Elena, hi," Caroline said hesitantly. "What are you doing here?"

"That's a nice greeting for your very best friend," Elena said with a laugh. Caroline smiled.

"Anyways, I'm here to start planning for the Miss Mystic Falls dresses. I heard you finished your sketches."

"Did Mother tell you?" Caroline asked.

"I called her because I hadn't heard from you in four days. I even tried calling you, but it seems as if you've turned off your phone." Caroline looked away, guiltily, so Elena said, "I'll take that as a yes. Been tied up with Damon, huh?" Elena grinned ear to ear and it made Caroline laugh nervously.

"How do you know Damon is staying with me?" Caroline asked.

Elena laughed, "You just told me."

Caroline looked embarrassed, but Elena said, "No, really, I haven't seen him around the boarding house lately, and Stefan hasn't heard from him lately. I was just taking a guess. But, speaking of Damon, you look good, Care. I mean, really good. How are things going between the two of you?"

Caroline blushed. She felt the color start to come over her face, but couldn't really do anything to stop it. Elena saw it, too, and she grinned, "Did you guys finally? How was it? I need details, Caroline."

Caroline looked over at her friend, "Seriously, Elena? He's practically your brother. You grew up with Stefan."

"Yeah, and Damon's my friend. Come on, you know as well as I do that every girl from Mystic Falls I've ever known has had a crush on Damon Salvatore at one point or another. Me growing up with Stefan has nothing to do with it. I bet he's fucking amazing in the sack." Elena saw the look on Caroline's face, so she thought she should clarify, "It's not that I still want him, Caroline. It was just a stupid little schoolgirl crush. I love Stefan and he keeps me more than satisfied." Elena saw the look on Caroline's face again, so she stopped talking for a moment. Then she said, "So what's the problem? I'm assuming there is one."

Caroline filled Elena in on everything. She left out details of their lovemaking, just because she felt too weird to talk about it, but let Elena know that Damon was "very good, and definitely knew what he was doing."

"So, you slept together last night, and you're here now? You snuck out."

"I didn't exactly _sneak out_ ," Caroline defended. "It was more like, I left."

"You don't sleep with someone and then leave without saying goodbye," Elena said, sighing. "It may have been that way with Tyler and Mike, but that's because they were douchebags. Damon is different. He's a different kind of guy than those two idiots are. When Damon dates someone, he goes all in. It's either all or nothing with him. He loves with his whole heart and he give his all, no matter what."

Caroline froze, "You said 'love.'"

Elena sighed, "Caroline, don't do that. Don't fixate on one little word. Now, tell me the truth. What do you feel for Damon?"

"I have very strong feelings for him," Caroline said honestly. She could do this; she could tell Elena what exactly was going on in her head, in her heart, because Elena had never given her a reason to doubt her. Caroline trusted Elena with everything she had.

"Caroline, I know you were hurt. I know what those douchebags did to you, and I get why you're so closed off. But you need to put a little trust in Damon."

"I've only known him for a little over a month, Elena."

"Has he done anything to make you distrust him?" Elena asked, and Caroline sighed, shaking her head.

"So I don't get the problem. Why not trust him?"

"Because, Elena, when you start to trust someone, you're putting your life in their hands. You're giving them ammunition to hurt you with. They an take everything you say, everything you tell them, and use it to their advantage. I can't let him know how much he means to me. He could use it to his advantage, you know, and then I would be thoroughly fucked."

"You're basing everything on your past relationships, Caroline. Just because Mike and Tyler hurt you, is that why you think Damon will?"

"I can't take the chance."

"Caroline, I know how much you hate it when people stereotype and when they judge you. You've been around nothing but judgmental people since you were put into foster care, but you know what? You're stereotyping Damon. Did you ever think of that?"

Caroline opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again. Elena had a point, and Caroline knew it. She had done nothing but stereotype guys since she left Tyler. She had been around scummy guys so she figured they were all the same. Caroline opened her mouth again to speak, but then closed it. She wasn't sure how to phrase the words to make them sound okay.

"He hasn't given you any reason to distrust him, Caroline. You know, put a little faith in the fact that he hasn't hurt you, and I honestly don't think that he wants to. Give him that much. I trust Damon. Can't you trust me to trust him?"

Caroline sighed; she was beat, and she knew it. She nodded, "Okay, fine."

"Anyway, close up shop early. You need the break. We can talk business later - you need to go home and be with your man right now," Elena said with a great big grin on her face.

Caroline just laughed, "You sound ridiculous."

Elena just grinned.

-x-

Damon woke up alone. He sat up, realizing that he was naked under the big blanket on Caroline's bed, and just sat there for a moment. The irony hit him like a rock. _So this is what waking up alone feels like _, he thought to himself. It felt a little disappointing. In fact, he was surprised. No, scratch that, he was _extremely_ surprised. It was surprising how disappointed he felt. Damon didn't expect to feel anything because he had never felt this way before, not about anyone. He grabbed his boxers off the floor and put them on, venturing downstairs to see if he could find Caroline. He looked around the house, but Caroline wasn't there. His heart practically sank. He wanted her to be here. He wanted to know that she enjoyed last night as much as he did.__

__God, he was turning into a sap, and the irony that didn't escape him, either. He didn't used to care, and he wondered what she was doing to him. Why did she have to make him feel this way? What was it about her that made her so extraordinary? There was something about Caroline that Damon just couldn't put his finger on, but there were little things about her that he loved. He loved how stubborn she was, how she was worried about spending all of his money, and how loyal she was to the Mikaelsons. Sure, she worried about the changing their minds and not wanting her anymore, but he could understand why. Her life had nothing but abuse in it, so it seemed only natural that she'd fear that._ _

__He rubbed a hand over his face. Why did he even care? She was the first girl he'd actually wanted a relationship with since Katherine left. He thought he had loved Katherine back then, but part of him wondered if it was, indeed, love. She had played him for a fool and everybody knew it. He had been so lovesick when it came to her that he couldn't see her for who she was. But Caroline was different; she was everything that Katherine wasn't._ _

__His thoughts were interrupted, however, by the sound of the opening door. He saw Caroline come in, and then she turned and looked at him._ _

__"Hi," she said. "Did you just get up? It's after one."_ _

__"I'm on bartender's hours," Damon answered. "Tending bar at the Grill has made me more of a night person." He paused, then asked, "Where were you?"_ _

__"I went to work. I also got bitched out by Elena for doing so." Caroline knew that Elena had told her to give Damon just a little trust, but it was going to be very difficult. Caroline turned and walked into the kitchen, pouring herself a glass of orange juice. She hopped up onto the kitchen island counter, sipping her juice._ _

__"I thought that last night was bad for you or something," Damon said quietly, and Caroline looked surprised._ _

__"Last night was unbelievable, Damon. It really was. With the flowers, and the food, and the mind-blowing sex, I couldn't ask for a better night. But I'm in this mindset that it's just that; just sex. Sex was always just sex to me, and there was nothing more to it. That's the way it was with the other... _guys_ ," Caroline couldn't bring herself to say boyfriends, since she really didn't see them as boyfriends. They never treated her like that. Damon treated her so differently from them, it was almost amazing. "They didn't care about the cuddling after, about the morning after, none of it. It was get in, get the job done, and get out. I didn't meant to hurt you, and I really do mean that."_ _

__Damon didn't speak; he just settled himself in-between her legs. He cupped her face and met her lips with his. He wanted to let her know that he was always going to be there for her, that he wasn't going to anywhere, and wished that he could put all his feelings and emotions into words. Instead, he just put everything he had into the kiss, and Caroline angled her head to the side, sliding her tongue about his bottom lip, almost a silent request for him to open his mouth. He was surprised that she was initiating this, but he obliged, opening his mouth and she thrust her tongue inside his mouth. He moaned at the contact; she just felt so damn good. He put one of his hands in her hair and the other one of his hands went to her back as he massaged her tongue with his. Caroline slid her hands down his chest; God, she just loved the feel of his skin. Damon broke the kiss, needing to breathe, and then started to kiss his way down her neck. He kissed her collarbone back up to her mouth._ _

__When Damon had his mouth on hers, Caroline couldn't comprehend anything. She couldn't even think a whole thought. Nothing was making sense inside her head. She broke the kiss this time, sliding off the counter and kneeling in front of him. She snaked her hand into his boxers and pulled out his cock. She wasn't sure why she even thought about it; with the other guys she had been with, sex was never initiated by her. But with Damon, it was different. She _wanted_ him. He had created a need that throbbed between her legs. She took him in her mouth, taking him as far as she could go. She flattened her tongue so she could fit more of him in her mouth, and hummed around him. Damon gathered her hair and gently held it. It surprised Caroline how gentle he was being. It was just something that she wasn't accustomed to. Most - okay, all - the guys she'd been with were rough, forcing her to take them further in her mouth, but Damon was different. He was just holding her hair. It seemed like everything was different with Damon. She released him from her mouth with a pop and looked at him. She was met by his crystal blue eyes, watching her. She smiled mischievously and went back down, taking him in her mouth once again. A moan escape Damon's lips and Caroline smirked against him. She took him deeper in her mouth, feeling him hitting the back of her throat, and she hummed around him. Damon moaned loudly; she was just so warm and wet, and he felt like he was going to explode any minute._ _

__"Shit, Caroline, stop," Damon said, trying to pull her up. "I'm close and I don't want to come just yet."_ _

__Caroline nodded, getting off her knees and kissing his lips. She sighed s their tongues tangled with each other. She was giving heavy thought to taking him up to her bedroom when she heard the front door open and close, and Klaus' voice yelled, "Hey, Care?"_ _

__Caroline went over to the island counter, jumping onto it, and took a drink of her juice as Klaus entered. He looked from Damon, back to Caroline, back to Damon again. He shook his head, although the fact that Damon was here in his boxers did not escape him. Klaus clenched his fists; he didn't want to say anything in front of Caroline, but he really hated this man. Part of him wondered why the hell Caroline would choose a guy like him, and Damon noticed Klaus' frustration. Damon said, "I, uh...I better go shower," and he left the room, and Klaus watched him walk away with a dirty look on his face._ _

__"How are things?" Klaus asked. He wanted to say more, but he really did not want to know what he just interrupted._ _

__Caroline smiled, "Things are fine, Nik. They're going really good."_ _

__Klaus looked at her and sighed. He better tell her what he came to tell her, "Hey, Care, Mother just dropped me off. She said that she wants to invite you guys to dinner tonight."_ _

__Caroline sighed, "Really? How did she find out that Damon's here?"_ _

__"Same way she knows everything else. Mother just always knows."_ _

__Caroline rolled her eyes, "Who else is going to be there?"_ _

__"The family. Elijah and Rose, Sage and Finn, me, and," Klaus coughed, "Rebekah."_ _

__"Rebekah? She's in Europe with her rich boyfriend," Caroline said, but Klaus shook his head._ _

__"She got back this morning, and Mother wants a nice family dinner, Care," Klaus said, and Caroline just watched him. "She wants to get all of her children together and they can be civil. Please, Caroline. You'll have Damon there, and you know how to handle Rebekah if she starts to be too much of a bitch."_ _

__Caroline sighed. She didn't want to get into a fight right now about it, so she nodded, signaling defeat, "Tell Mother we'll be there. Give me a time and we'll be there."_ _

__"Good. Be there around seven. And now, I'm leaving. So you guys can do...whatever you want. I don't even want to think about it," Klaus muttered, and then he was gone._ _

__-x-_ _

__Caroline and Damon sat in her car in front of the Mikaelson house. Caroline didn't want to go in, and was wasting as much time as possible before going in to face Rebekah. She sat in the driver's seat of her car, holding onto Damon's hand with a vice grip. After a few moments of silence, Damon looked at her, "Can I ask why you're dreading this so much?"_ _

__"Rebekah hates me, and believe me, the feeling is very much mutual," Caroline said to him. "She thinks she's perfect, and she hates the fact that her family loves someone as broken as me. I mean, look at me. These stupid scars," Caroline said, taking her hand from his and looking at the underside of her wrists, "they prove that I'm not a strong woman. I am very broken."_ _

__"What does this have to do with Rebekah?" Damon asked. Caroline sighed._ _

__"She likes to point certain things out to me. You know, how I was never adopted, or how I never had a high school boyfriend, or how my last name isn't the same as theirs, or even the fact that I was fuck buddies with a man five years older than me. How I couldn't be a good person because he wouldn't just want to fuck me, he'd want to be with me. She points these things out, pushing me closer to the inevitable."_ _

__"And what is that, exactly?" Damon asked, almost afraid of what her answer might be._ _

__"The day I actually succeed in killing myself," Caroline answered quietly. Damon hoped to God that he had been hallucinating it, but from the look on Caroline's face, he knew he hadn't._ _

__"Look, Damon, I'm not saying that I want to kill myself this time," Caroline answered, seeing the horrific expression on Damon's face. "It's just that, life is so damn hard sometimes, and it seems like that would be the easier way to go. It would rid me of all this pain I feel."_ _

__"I'm not going to say the pain isn't going to be there, but I want to be there for you, Caroline. When the going gets tough, come to me. I can't promise that I'll be the best man all the time, but I can promise I'll try. I will fucking try, Caroline. Please believe that."_ _

__"I do," she answered quietly, and it surprised her, because she was telling the truth. She somehow just knew he meant it and she believed him._ _

__"Things are going to be fine. I"ll be there with you, and I'm not going anywhere, Caroline."_ _

__Caroline nodded again and got out of her car. She and Damon walked up the front walk, hand in hand, and Caroline opened the front door. Rebekah was standing in the hallway when Caroline and Damon came inside, and she looked at them._ _

__Caroline was thanking God that Esther was standing behind Rebekah. If she wasn't, Caroline knew, Rebekah would've been downright rude. Caroline forced a smile, "Hi, Rebekah. This is my boyfriend, Damon Salvatore."_ _

__"Hello, Damon," Rebekah said cheerfully, shaking Damon's hand. Caroline rolled her eyes. Rebekah turned to Caroline, "Hello _Forbes_ ," she said snidely. Caroline's eyes narrowed. She knew Rebekah was pointing out her last name because she wasn't one of them. But Caroline had promised to be civil and she was going to try._ _

__"Hello, Rebekah," Caroline said through gritted teeth._ _

__"Hey Care, Damon," Esther said from behind Rebekah. Rebekah rolled her eyes, turning and walking away. Caroline looked at Esther, "Mother, I'm trying. Honestly, I really am. She just makes it so freaking hard."_ _

__"I know, Sweetheart. But I'm really happy that you are, indeed, trying."_ _

__Dinner went as smoothly as it could. During dinner, Caroline had found out that Rebekah had broken up with her rich boyfriend over the weekend, and she rolled her eyes. She knew that Rebekah was going to play the victim for this, which was pretty obvious. She said he had cheated on her, but a part of Caroline didn't want to believe that. Rebekah would make up any excuse to play the victim. After that, Rebekah kept bragging about how wonderful Europe was, and, "I won't say any names, but it's so much better than _certain people_ deserve," Rebekah said with a rude tone in her voice. Caroline knew that was directed at her, but so did everyone else at the table. Esther looked at Rebekah sternly, "Rebekah, that's enough," she said. "I wanted my children here, and all civil to each other. You can at least be civil to Caroline, whether you like her or not."_ _

__Caroline excused herself to go up and use the bathroom, and after about ten minutes, Damon got worried about her. Dinner was over at that point, and they were all gathered in the parlor, so he snuck up to see her._ _

__He opened the door where Caroline was sitting on the bathroom counter, wiping her eyes with a piece of toilet paper. He looked at her sympathetically, "Are you okay?" he asked quietly. She just nodded._ _

__"Look, Caroline, Rebekah's a bitch," Damon stated, coming closer to Caroline. "I know the last thing she said was directed at you, and I wanted to bitch slap her."_ _

__Caroline smiled weakly, "But you won't, and that's what makes you a good man, Damon."_ _

__He was almost taken aback by her statement, "You think I'm a good man?"_ _

__She shrugged, "I didn't mean to say it, but yes, I do. There are things about you, Damon, that show that you are."_ _

__"She does stuff like that all the time," Caroline said, feeling like she was going to cry again. "She hates me. I hate her. She's angry because her mother pays attention to me, and because her brothers love me. Sometimes I wonder if I shouldn't just leave."_ _

__"C'mon, it's not _that_ bad," Damon said, trying to cheer Caroline up. It wasn't working, though, so he did the next best thing. He came over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her. She melted into the embrace, and the tears started to flow once more. She was sobbing uncontrollably, but Damon didn't seem to mind._ _

__"I'm sorry," she said, pulling away from him. "I got your shirt all wet."_ _

__Damon smiled, "Really, it's not that bad."_ _

__Caroline sighed, wiping her eyes, "I've gotta get back down there. If Rebekah finds out that I was up here, crying over her comments, she'd gloat."_ _

__"Caroline," Damon said, as Caroline slid off the counter, "You're better than her, do you know that? You're worth about a thousand Rebekahs."_ _

__Caroline nodded and went back down the stairs, where she saw Finn at the grand piano in the sitting room. He was a pianist in a symphony, and was very skilled at playing. He was playing something, probably Bach or Beethoven. He loved playing classic pieces. Caroline saw Elijah over in the corner, talking with Rose and Klaus. Part of Caroline wondered if she'd ever be able to tell Klaus that Rose and Damon were an item once up on a time. She knew, at this moment at least, that that would lead to more distrust of Damon. That was the last thing that Caroline wanted. She didn't expect Klaus to trust Damon, because she didn't even, but she did want peace between the two men._ _

__"Where were you?" Esther asked, coming up to Caroline._ _

__"I, uh..." she stopped for a moment. "To tell you the truth, Mother, Rebekah's comments really hurt me, and I was composing myself in the bathroom. Damon came up to see if I was okay."_ _

__"Rebekah left," Esther said to her after a moment. "She wasn't too happy with me when I had words with her after you went upstairs." Esther paused for a moment and then said, "I know you have a hard time trusting men, Care, but Damon is definitely a keeper."_ _

__Caroline nodded, "I know."_ _

__"He's a very nice young man, and I want only the best for you, you know," Esther continued. "I think he could make you very happy."_ _

__Esther left to get dessert out of the oven, and Caroline thought about what she had just said. Caroline thought about, in the last few days, how satisfied Damon had made her. He had made her feel loved, cared for, and she was starting to think that she could give him some trust. Just a pinch, as Elena had said earlier that day. Yes, just a pinch would do._ _


	15. Chapter 15

_She was running. She knew the woods that she was in, and she recognized what was going on right away. He was chasing her. She was running as if her life depended on it. And it may have._

_"LC, come on," Mike's voice was distant, almost far away, and she eased up on her running for a few moments, trying to catch her breath. She started breathing normally, and she heard a twig snap, probably from under his foot, and she started running once again. She wasn't fast enough, though, and she felt a hand on her arm. His minty breath was close to her face as he said, "Boo."_

_"You never did learn, did you, LC?" Mike said to her. His hand came up to her throat, and his grip was tight. "You're unlovable. Nobody can love a broken little girl like you."_

_"You don't know that," Caroline wheezed out. His grip was tight, but she was determined. "You have no idea what's going on with me right now."_

_"Think about it, LC," Mike said, watching her. His eyes were dark, and part of it really did scare her. "Damon's not going to stick around. And those Mikaelson boys, they don't love you. You're just their responsibility."_

_He was telling her everything she thought about when she was depressed. These were her worst fears being vocalized._

_"I haven't been their responsibility in years," Caroline said, getting bold. "They don't stick with me because they have to."_

_"Keep telling yourself that, LC," Mike laughed. "But mark my words, Damon is going to leave. You don't deserve a happy ending."_

_His grip was tightening on her throat, and she took one last breath before -  
_

"Caroline?" Caroline's eyes flew open as she heard Damon's voice. She looked at him. _Damn it_ , she cursed inwardly. _The nightmares are back_.

"Caroline?" Damon asked again. "Are you okay? You screamed in your sleep."

Caroline nodded, composing herself. "I'm fine, Damon," she said. She got up out of bed and went into her bathroom, shutting and locking the door. She went over to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills.

Yes, Caroline took sleeping pills. They had been prescribed to her by a psychiatrist she started seeing after moving to the Mikaelson's household. These were normal sleeping pills; they had an anti-depressant in them. She took them for the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder diagnosis that she had been given, and they helped with the nightmares. She had had the nightmares for years; after everything that had happened to her. Her nightmares were almost always the same; Mike, or someone else, _anybody else_ , saying her greatest fear - the fact that nobody wanted her. That she didn't deserve anybody. Caroline leaned over the sink and splashed cold water on her face. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and sighed. She looked pathetic. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was practically trembling.

"Caroline?" she heard Damon's voice through the door. "Caroline, what's going on?"

"I'm fine," Caroline said, but Damon knew that she was not. Even her voice was shaky. She was trying really hard to keep up the front that she was all put together, but she was slowly losing it. That's when the tears started to fall.

"Let me in, Caroline," Damon said, a little more firmly this time. "I can tell that you're not fine. I want to see you."

Caroline sighed, shoving the pills back inside the medicine cabinet. She was tempted to take one, but knew if she did, she'd sleep until noon, at least. She went over and unlocked the bathroom door, opening it so she could see Damon.

"I'm fine," she said again. She thought that if she evened out her breathing, reciting _breathe in, breathe out_ to herself, that she could calm down a little bit. It wasn't working, though, and she knew it. Hell, even Damon knew it.

"You're not fine," Damon said to her. He watched her carefully, "What happened?"

Caroline shook her head, "It's nothing. I had a nightmare."

Damon nodded, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Caroline shook her head again, "No, thanks. I'm good."

"You know, keeping everything bottled up is bad for you, Caroline. You need to let someone in."

"I let plenty of people in."

"Like who?"

"Mother, Nik, Elena. They've never hurt me."

Damon almost looked hurt, "I've never hurt you, either, you know. You could talk to me. Please. I care about you, Caroline, and I want to help you."

Part of Caroline felt bad. She felt guilty for keeping this a secret from Damon, but she had convinced herself that it was too soon to discuss these things. She didn't even want him knowing that she took sleeping pills. What if he thought she was some kind of drug addict? She figured that if he knew about the pills, he'd leave. While Caroline wasn't always convinced 100% that she should be with Damon, she didn't want him to leave, either.

"I don't want to talk about it, Damon. I'm tired," Caroline said, faking a yawn. "I just want to go back to bed."

They headed back to bed, but Damon snuggled close to Caroline. He knew that she wasn't telling the truth, that something more was happening, but he didn't want to push it. He held her closely to him, wanting to protect her, even from her dreams. It wasn't long until Caroline heard his even breathing and knew that Damon had fallen asleep. She looked at the clock on her bedside table and saw it was almost four AM. She sighed as sleep started to take her. She really needed to look inside herself and figure things out.

-x-

Caroline sat in her shop the next day. She was dead tired, and bored, too. She was getting ready to go back to Mystic Falls to do the measuring for the girls, but needed a place to do it. Caroline didn't want to call Elena - Elena would ask her questions about Damon, and she didn't want to talk about Damon. She was almost tempted to call Bonnie and Jeremy ask if she could crash there, but then Elena would know she was avoiding her. Against her better judgment, she picked up the phone and called Bonnie, telling her it had been way too long since they hung out and asked if she could stay there. Bonnie sounded ecstatic.

Caroline breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Klaus walk back in. He'd help her take her ind off Damon, that much was for certain. He looked at her, "You look like shit, Care. What happened?"

She shook her head, "I had another nightmare last night, Nik."

Klaus nodded, "Have you been taking your pills?"

Caroline was embarrassed, but shook her head anyways, "I don't want Damon to know," she answered quietly. "I don't want him to think I'm some kind of drug addict or something."

"Fuck what he thinks," Klaus said, not caring about how he sounded. "You need those pills, Caroline. I know what happens when you don't take them."

"The nightmare was tolerable," she said, staring at the ground. "It was tolerable."

Klaus hated seeing Caroline like this. She was his baby sister, and she was hurting. She was probably in a rough place, too, because she was genuinely afraid that Damon would leave her. Klaus hated the man, yes, but wanted Caroline to be happy, and if that meant that he had to put up with him to do so, Klaus was willing. Klaus came over to her and said, "Hey, I'm sorry." He was speaking softly, and Caroline wanted to cry. "I'm sorry Care. I'm a judgmental bastard, I know, but I only want what's best for you. I don't want to see you sad like this. Was it Mike again?"

Caroline was silent, but she nodded. She didn't want to go into the details, but Klaus knew her like a book. He could practically read her emotions, and she knew it.

"It's going to be okay," Klaus said soothingly, rubbing her back, but Caroline didn't really feel any better. Instead, she sighed and checked the clock on the wall. It read one o'clock. She looked at Klaus, "I'm going to get lunch. Chinese okay?"

Klaus nodded, and with that, Caroline was gone.

-x-

Damon was worried. He was worried about Caroline, especially after she lied about the nightmare she had. He knew she was lying. She was shaky, her whole body was practically trembling, and her voice was very shaky, uneasy even. She was far from fine, and he knew it. He knew she had a hard time letting people in, but he really wanted to be able to be there for her. She was just making it hard for him.

He parked his car in the parking lot, and started to walk towards Caroline's shop, but something stopped him.

"Damon? Damon, what are you doing here? It's a small world," said a voice, and Damon knew right away who that voice belonged to, and he froze.

"Katherine," he spat out. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Katherine smirked and shrugged. She looked at him, "It's good to see you too, Damon. It's been a long time."

"It hasn't been long enough," Damon muttered. "Go away, Katherine. I don't want to talk to you."

Katherine cocked her head to the side and said, "And who _do_ you want to talk to? Maybe Caroline Forbes?"

Damon stopped, turned, and looked at her, "What the fuck do you know about Caroline?"

"I know you tried to replace me with her," Katherine said, watching Damon intently. "But you can't. Do you know why not?"

"Because there's only one grade A bitch, and it's you?" Damon said through gritted teeth. Katherine smiled.

"Because she's broken, Damon. She's just a broken little girl. It's rather pathetic, if you ask me." She came closer to him and ran her fingernail down the length of his arm, "We used to have a lot of fun together. I know you remember."

He withdrew his arm from her touch, "Don't," he practically growled. "I don't want anything to do with you, Katherine. You don't want me, either, if you leaving was any indication."

Katherine laughed, "Silly boy. Of course I want something to do with you. I thought that you and I could have some fun together. You know, like we used to."

Damon sighed. How the hell was he ever turned on by her? She just seemed desperate to him now. Damon rolled his eyes, "I'm with Caroline now, Katherine. I don't want you anymore."

"How can you love a broken little girl like that?" Katherine said, turning vindictive. This was a part of her that Damon definitely did _not_ miss. "I mean, look at her. Nobody wants her. You can't be serious."

Damon looked Katherine directly in the eye, and his blue eyes grew almost dark, "Caroline might be broken, Katherine, but she's a thousand times the woman you are, or ever were. She may be broken, but she has the best family anyone could ever ask for, and they couldn't adopt her, but they kept her. They _chose_ her. That shows me that someone does want her. And you know what, Katherine? I want her, too. I want to be with her. She's independent, and fierce, and loving, and...everything that you never were. You don't seem to be getting the message, but get this through your head. I. Don't. Fucking. Want. You. Anymore."

Katherine's lips formed a pout as she looked at Damon, "I'm not giving up that easily," she said, turning on her heels and walking away. Damon sighed; he didn't think she would.

-x-

Klaus witnessed the whole thing. They had just happened to be standing by Caroline's office window when Katherine's came on to Damon, and Klaus heard before he saw. The thing was, however, that he witnessed Damon Salvatore turn her down. Part of Klaus was confused. Did Damon Salvatore just stand up for his sister? He figured that the Katherine that just approached him was _the_ Katherine, the girl who had broken his heart and turned him into a playboy. Klaus sighed; maybe he had misjudged Damon after all. He ran out of Caroline's office, like he was on fire. He didn't want Damon to know that he had witnessed what he did.

Damon saw Klaus when he walked through the front door, "Where's Caroline?"

"She went to get lunch. She should be back in a few minutes."

Damon nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence, and part of Damon wanted to get to know this man better. Out of all her siblings, Caroline was the closest to Klaus, and Damon didn't want to have to make her choose, but he knew that this man disliked him very much - he may even hate him. Instead of saying anything though, Damon just sighed and sat down. He figured he could just sit and wait.

Caroline came into the shop a few minutes later, holding a grocery bag. She reached into it and pulled out a container of food and handed it to Klaus, "It's General Tso's," she said. "I wasn't sure what you wanted."

Klaus nodded, "It's fine."

Caroline started to walk over to her office, and that's when she saw Damon. "Hi," she said. "How long have you been here?"

Damon shook his head, "Not very long. I just wanted to see you."

Caroline nodded, "I need to go to Mystic Falls," she said, pulling out her own box of food. "I've gotta get started on the measurements and designs of the Miss Mystic Falls dresses."

Damon nodded, "Okay. Are you gonna crash at the boarding house?"

Caroline shrugged, "Actually, I'm gonna crash with Bonnie and Jeremy. It's been way too long since I've actually spent any real time with Bonnie."

"When do you want to go?"

"I'm going tonight - well, in a little while. Bonnie isn't expecting me to stay there until tomorrow, so I thought I could spend tonight with you and Elena, at the boarding house."

There was a moment of silence, and, for a moment, it felt almost awkward. Almost wrong. Caroline looked up at Damon, sadness in her eyes, "I'm sorry about this morning." Damon's eyes softened. "I mean it,I really am. I just...sometimes I have these nightmares, and they really do haunt me."

"I shouldn't have pressed you for information," Damon said after a moment. "I know you'll talk when you're ready."

Caroline nodded and continued to eat her lunch. She was fighting an internal battle with herself whether or not to tell Damon about her dreams. There was nothing he'd be able to do, though, so she decided against it. She was almost grateful when Klaus knocked on her office door, saying, "Mother's here. She wants to talk to you."

After talking to Esther for a while, she decided that tonight, after she got out of work, she was going to Mystic Falls, so she could start measurements tomorrow. Esther could tell something was weighing on Caroline's mind, though, and asked, "What else is going on, Care?"

Caroline rubbed a hand over her face and snuck a peak at Damon, who was just gazing out the window in her office. She sighed deeply before explaining to her mother, "My nightmares are back, and Damon wants to know what's going on. But I can't tell him."

"Why not?"

Caroline knew that she was being ridiculous, and so did Esther, if the look on her face was indication. Esther had this annoying habit of being able to read her children like a book. It was almost as if she could read their minds. She always seemed to know what they were thinking.

"Fine, don't answer me," Esther said after a minute. "Besides, I know what you're going to say. You think Damon's going to leave. But, Caroline, you absolutely need to take those pills. The night terrors aren't here yet, but they will come. I can promise you that."

"Mother," Caroline started, "Maybe they won't come. With Damon here with me, I feel...I feel safe. Safer than I've felt in a very long time."

"Sweetheart," Esther said, giving Caroline a hug, "I know you do. Damon's good for you. But you know what? He's going to have to go home eventually. It's not like he can move in with you. Besides, you two haven 't really been dating for that long, anyway."

Esther was right. That really shouldn't have surprised Caroline, though - Esther was usually right. Damon was going to have to go home eventually. Caroline sighed before telling her mother that she was going out of town for a few days and asked her to stay at the shop. She told her that she needed to get started on these dresses, and that she had to go to Mystic Falls to do it. She also told her that she didn't want to face Elena right now.

"That doesn't sound like you, Caroline," Esther said. "I mean, since when do you _not_ want to talk to Elena? She's been nothing but good to you."

"I know, Mother, I know," Caroline said. "But you know that Elena knows me better than I know myself, and sometimes, she seems to know what I'm thinking a hell of a lot better than I even do. It's almost scary."

Esther laughed and then said, "Elena's been good for you, Care. She's family, you know, and she loves you a lot. You two may not be blood, but you're bonded. But I'll let you in on a little secret. Sometimes it's good to have someone like that, especially when you can't figure out what you want. Elena only wants what's best for you."

Caroline nodded, "I know that. I really do." She paused for a moment before adding, "I'm going tonight. It'll be a nice change of scenery, I think."

Esther nodded, "I think a change of scenery would be good for you, Care," Esther responded. Caroline nodded and went over to where Klaus and Damon were sitting. They weren't speaking to one another, but he silence was oddly comfortable.

"You wanna feed Lizzy while I'm away?" she asked Klaus. He nodded.

"Yeah. I'd be glad to take care of her. Spend as much time in Mystic Falls as you want - you don't get to see Damon and your friends very often."

Caroline looked at Klaus quizzically - now that was pretty fucking weird. She didn't want to jinx anything, though, so she grabbed Damon and left her shop.

-x-

When Damon had his lips on hers, Caroline couldn't think coherently. All she could think was the way he taste, the way he felt, and she was wrapped up in him. She loved being here with him. When he was standing in front of her front door, she just couldn't resist, and pushed him up against the side of the house and laid one on him, so to speak. She got caught up in the kiss - there was just something about kissing Damon that got better every time she did it. Kissing him was a very enjoyable activity, and seemed to get better with time. Her arms automatically went around his shoulders and she cupped his cheek. She just loved the feeling of him, and he made her feel like every nerve in her body was on fire. It was a phenomenal feeling.

Caroline fumbled with her keys to unlock the door, not wanting to pull away from him. She didn't want this kiss to end. When she dropped her keys on the ground, however, she broke the kiss and muttered, "Goddammit." She bent down to pick up her keys and looked at Damon, "Just give me a second." She went inside, putting the code into the alarm system, and then grabbed Damon by the chest and pushed him up against the wall. She kissed him again, this time forcefully, because holy fuck, did she ever want him. Damon could tell, too, so he pulled his lips away from hers and whispered, "Wrap your legs around my waist." She obliged and he carried her up the stairs, going into her room and dropping her down onto the bed. He turned around to close the door, but Caroline said, "Turn the lock, too."

"You want to be locked in here with me?" Damon asked, slightly surprised.

Caroline nodded, "It's so Lizzy won't disturb us. When we had sex in here before, she didn't bother us because I locked the door."

Damon nodded, turning the lock, but he couldn't help thinking that she must trust him, even a little, if she was willing to be locked in a room with him. Caroline stood up and grabbed him once more, pushing him down onto the bed, "We don't have a lot of time. Nik comes home from work in about an hour and I want to be out of here by then." She removed Damon's shirt, and her mouth practically watered at his bare chest. She ran her hand up it and then looked at him seriously, "I just really need you right now, Damon. Like really," she whispered huskily into his ear, and he shivered.

With some help, they were both out of their clothes before long and Damon was lying on the bed with Caroline hovering over him. He inserted two fingers inside of her and groaned.

"Holy shit, Caroline," he said, pumping his fingers into her, "You are fucking soaked."

"It's all for you, baby," she said as he withdrew his fingers. Not really thinking about it, Caroline grabbed his hand and sucked her juices off of his fingers. She didn't mind the way she tasted, and with the other guys she'd been with, they seemed to really like it when she tasted herself. Damon was no exception; he watched her do this and he groaned as his cock hardened more than he thought possible. Caroline reached over into the bedside table and pulled out a condom, ripping open the foil packaging and rolling it onto him, slowly. And even more slowly, so slowly that Damon thought he might spontaneously combust, Caroline slid down onto his waiting cock. She groaned at the sensation; it just felt too damn good. But she didn't want slow lovemaking right now, so he started bouncing. She alternated with grinding herself on his cock, and then bouncing on it. Damon reached up and grabbed her breasts, pinching her nipples roughly. The sensation felt too good, and she started bouncing more enthusiastically. Caroline knew that she wasn't going to last for very much longer and leaned down to kiss him. Damon could tell that she was getting close, so he flipped them over so that she was on her back and started thrusting inside of her, going deep. Caroline's cries of pleasure were getting louder and louder, and Damon reached in-between them, pinching her clit, and she shattered. She had probably the most intense orgasm that she had ever had. His name on her lips pushed Damon over the edge, and it wasn't long before he came, too.

He pulled out of her, puling off the condom and disposing of it in the trash can by her bed, and laid back down on the bed, "Come on, baby, just lay here with me for a few minutes."

She shrugged before lying with her head on his chest, just listening to his heartbeat. There was silence, but it was very comfortable. It took Caroline by surprise; she had never been with a man that she could be alone with and be completely silent and comfortable with. She took a deep breath and said, "You know, Damon, I'd never really cuddled after sex before you, but I really do think that I like this part. It's nice, and...almost soothing."

"Yes, I like it, too," Damon said, his arms around her. "Lying here, with my arms around you, it's...really nice. I like it."

They had only laid there for about ten minutes before Caroline, looking at the clock, got up. "I've got to pack for Mystic Falls, and then I really do want to be out of her before Nik comes home. However, Bonnie and Jeremy aren't expecting me until tomorrow -"

"You're really going to spend the night with Judgey? Damon asked, and Caroline rolled her eyes. "Why?"

"It's been a long time since I've spent any amount of time with Bonnie, Damon," Caroline explained, digging into her closet to pull out some clothes. "I miss her. I'm not as close to her as I am to Elena, and I want to be. I want to get to know my best friends again."

Damon nodded, but Caroline got the feeling that he didn't understand the way that she wanted him to.

"So anyway," she continued since Damon had cut her off, "I was thinking tonight we could get some dinner and I could stay at the boarding house. I mean, if you want me to."

"Hell yes I want you to," Damon replied, probably almost too enthusiastically. "I want you to, and I know that Elena would really like to see you."

Within thirty minutes, Caroline was dressed and lugging two duffel bags pus her purse. Damon grabbed one of the bags out of her hand and cursed when he did so, "Holy fuck, Caroline, what the hell do you have in here?"

"My sewing supplies. Should be obvious with how much that thing weighs." Caroline put the code into the alarm system and kissed Lizzy on the head before going out the front door.

"Do you wanna ride with me?" Damon asked Caroline. 

She made a face, thinking, before responding, "If I do, you're going to have to bring me home when I come."

"That's no problem, you know that," Damon said, so Caroline nodded.

They fit all her stuff in the trunk of his car and they pulled out of her driveway. Caroline looked at Damon, "Before we leave Richmond, we're going to eat at Maria's. Think of this as I'm taking you on a date."

"Who's Maria?"

She's this really sweet woman I know through Mother. I did the dresses for her wedding last year, and ever since, she's given me and my family a discount whenever we come in. She's a family friend and I'd love for you to meet her. She also makes really kick ass Italian food, the stuffed chicken marsala there is to die for." Caroline paused for a moment, remembering the night Damon had made the same dish for her, "It doesn't compete with yours, though, baby. Yours is probably one of the best I've ever tasted."

She gave him directions and pretty soon they were in the parking lot at Maria's. As they got out of the car, though, Caroline saw someone, and she could've sworn she was hallucinating, until he spoke.

"Caroline! And...wow, Damon Salvatore? Been a while, hasn't it?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, and grabbed Damon's hand, trying to calm him down, "Tyler," her voice waved, but she took a deep breath. She was not going to cry, especially in front of Tyler Lockwood. "What the fuck are you doing here?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been a while since I've posted anything on this story. Things get hectic around here sometimes and I forget. I've got a few more chapter finished, so I'm working on posting them. Again, I'm sorry about not updating, and enjoy the chapter!

"I'm on my way to see my mother," Tyler said. Caroline recognized the tone of his voice, too. It was the one where he was smug and practically begging her to do something so he could show her how much more superior he was. The tone practically made her cower, and Tyler knew it, the bastard.

"Mystic Falls is about an hour from here, Tyler," she said, her voice growing stronger. She needed to get over this fear she had of Tyler Lockwood. "If you wanted to be there, you'd be there by now. Why the hell would you take a stop in Richmond, just an hour shy of your destination?"

"Because, Caroline," Damon piped up, gritting his teeth, "he wanted to see you. Isn't it fucking obvious?"

"Get over yourself, Salvatore," Tyler said, coming just a little bit closer. "If I still wanted Caroline, I'd have her."

The comment made Caroline's blood boil - and Tyler knew it would happen. He was baiting her - making her want to do something incredibly stupid so she'd act on it. He'd always been a bastard like that.

"I don't belong to _anyone_ , Tyler," Caroline finally said after debating in her head what she should tell him. "I'm not property - and you're not as good as you think you are. Not every girl is a little bitch who would trip over themselves just to fuck you."

That was it. Tyler raised his hand, and Caroline cowered, but she was very surprised when Damon was over to Tyler, in a flash, and had pinned his hand behind his back, holding onto the back of his neck. He added just a little pressure, and Caroline heard Tyler whimper. She actually heard his fucking whimper, and it brought a smirk to her face. Part of her shouldn't have been surprised - Damon knew a lot of what she had been through, and Elena _had_ told her that Damon was very loyal. While part of this scenario made Caroline proud to call Damon her boyfriend, a part of it made her pissed off.

"I don't know what you think you're trying to do, Lockwood," Damon said, with a particular bite to his voice, "but you have no right to even lay a hand on Caroline. She didn't say anything that wasn't true."

Damon let go of Tyler and shot him daggers with his eyes, but Tyler just dusted himself off like nothing had even happened.

"So, tell me, Salvatore," Tyler said after a moment, "what are you with Caroline for? Is she your flavor of the week, or what?"

"Go ahead, Lockwood. Push me and see what happens."

It was then that a middle-aged woman came out into the parking lot, and Caroline knew that it was Maria and she had seen the altercation. She looked from Caroline to Damon to Tyler, "You need to go. I don't want any problems here," she said in a broken accent.

Tyler watched Caroline and Damon before clearing his throat and going to his car.

"Maria," Caroline said to the woman, "I'm so sorry. That was just Tyler, and -"

"Don't explain to me, Miss Caroline," Maria said. "I know about Tyler, and he's bad news. He was here a few weeks ago and he terrorized some customers. I told him to never come back."

"And that worked so wonderfully," Damon muttered. Maria glared at him, and he actually looked intimidated by her.

"Excuse my boyfriend, Maria," Caroline said after a moment. "He doesn't know how not to be sarcastic. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, really. Are the two of you eating here?"

Damon replied with a yes, and she led them back inside. They sat down at a booth and Caroline looked at Damon.

"What the hell?" she asked him after their drinks arrived. "I mean, seriously, Damon?"

"What?" he asked, taking a sip of his beer. "What did I do?"

"You don't think I can stand up for myself? I mean, I was doing all right before you interfered."

"Tyler was going to hit you, Caroline," Damon practically hissed. "I mean, you were just going to let him."

"I was not!" Caroline said a little loudly. She looked around, but nobody was paying attention to them. "I can handle myself, Damon - I can."

"Then why did you spend so much time dating him? You're too afraid of him to stand up for yourself!"

The words hit her like a slap in the face. Damon realized after the words were out what he actually said, and he noticed her reaction. Tears threatened to escape as Caroline promptly got up out of the booth and walked away. Damon wasn't sure if he should follow her or not, and he thought, _Well, fuck. That could've gone better._

-x-

Caroline got out of a taxi and went into her mother's house. She knew that Esther was not here, but Elijah was working a case here in Richmond and was crashing at Esther's house. She walked into the house and saw Elijah and Rose on the couch in the family room, cuddled up, watching TV. She went into the family room, and they saw her.

"Caroline!" Rose said brightly. It only took a second for Rose to see that Caroline had been crying, so she flipped off the TV, "What happened?"

Caroline took a seat next to them on the couch and started to relay the events that had taken place. She noticed that, as she went on with her story, Elijah started to look more and more pissed.

"And then Damon had a hold of him. He pinned his arm behind his back and defended me. After that, Tyler was made to leave by Maria, and Damon and I had a fight."

"About what?" Rose asked.

She told them what their fight was about, and what he said afterwards. After her story, she sighed, trying to wipe the tears from her face, but she continued to cry, so honestly, it was a lost cause. Rose got up and got Caroline a box of tissues.

"Damon was defending you, Caroline," Rose said after a moment. "I don't understand what he did wrong."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I lived alone before Nik got home from the service two years ago. I know how to save myself - I'm independent. I don't need anybody to stand up and fight my battles for me - I am perfectly capable of doing that myself, thank you very much."

"Caroline," Elijah said after a moment, "There's a big difference between _can_ and _should_. _Can_ you stand up for yourself? Yes. You can stand up for yourself, and you're independent. _Should_ you have to? No. You should not have to stand up for yourself, and do you know what? If I was there, I would've done the same fucking thing."

Caroline wiped her eyes with the tissues that Rose had given her, and she said, "What about what he said to me?"

"What he said was out of line, yes, Caroline," Elijah said, "but he did the right thing in standing up for you. You overreacted a little."

Caroline's eyes widened, "What?"

Rose rubbed Caroline's arm soothingly and took her hand, "We're not saying you're over sensitive, Care," she said. "But you and Damon just had a misunderstanding. He really care about you - that much is obvious."

"How can you tell?"

"Because," Rose said, and for a moment Caroline knew she was unsure of whether or not she should say it in front of Elijah, but she continued anyway, "Do you think he would act like that for anybody he didn't care about?"

Caroline could read what Rose was saying without her even having to say it. Caroline's eyes softened when she realized that Damon would've never done that for Rose. She looked away and said, "I'm sure that if my life would've been in danger, he would've saved me - he's noble that way. But thing I want you to remember, Caroline, is that Damon has changed since then. He's different now."

"How do you know?"

Rose sighed, "It's easy to see. He cares about you, Caroline. He knows a little bit of what you went through, and Damon's not heartless - he's never been heartless. He's got a soft spot for you - a spot where you're special, Care. He may not love you yet, but, mark my words, he's capable of it."

Their moment ended with a knock on the door, and that's when Elijah got up and answered it. He saw Damon on the other side, "Is Caroline in there?"

Elijah nodded, "Yes."

"Can I see her?"

Elijah stepped aside so Damon could step through the threshold, and Damon saw Rose and Caroline in the family room right away. Damon was relieved that they didn't see him. He looked uncomfortable.

"Caroline is speaking with Rose. Let's go in the kitchen so we can speak in private," Elijah said, and Damon nodded and walked in there with him. He poured a glass of rum out of the freezer - something that Esther kept in there in case she had a hard day and needed to veg - and handed it to Damon.

"I told Caroline that you did the right thing by defending her, Damon," Elijah said after a moment. "However, what you said to her before she left Maria's was not right."

"Are you going to play mediator?" Damon asked rudely. Elijah was surprised that Damon would speak this way to him. Nobody provoked him, but the fact that Damon was trying to amused him greatly, even if it shouldn't have.

"I just want to make sure that you didn't say anything bad about my sister, Damon. I would hate to hear that you said something derogatory about Caroline."

Damon's eyes widened. He had never, in his life, met someone who could scare him, but with Elijah - with Elijah he was a little worried. Caroline had told him that Elijah was a private investigator who found people and sometimes made them disappear. It was at this moment that Damon realized why Elijah was so good at his job.

"I know you have a history with Rosemarie, Damon," Elijah said, taking a swig of rum, "and I know you've changed. I can tell by the way that you are with Caroline that she means something to you. But you have to watch yourself. Caroline can take very good care of herself. She's always been able to. But Tyler, he broke her. He hurt her, and he made her scared. This is going to change everything, however."

"And how's that?"

Elijah rubbed a hand over his face, "I'm the one who suggested Niklaus stay with Caroline. He wasn't sure if he was ever going to go back into the service, but he didn't want to buy a place in case that happened. I know a little bit of what happened between Tyler and Caroline. If it were up to me, I would have told her not to go anywhere near that guy. I've seen a lot of people like that in my line of work. But Caroline, she felt like she needed to be loved - by someone other than her family, of course - and she couldn't resist what she thought he was offering her. With Niklaus around her, I feel like Caroline is protected. Niklaus would do anything for her, you know, even if it meant giving up his own life."

"Are you going to do something with Tyler?" Damon asked, really wondering what this guy's motives were. Elijah shrugged, and it was in that moment that Damon decided he didn't want to know.

"Caroline is too nice for her own good. I want you to pay extra attention to her, Damon," Elijah said, looking at him. "Is she staying with you at your house during her visit to Mystic Falls?"

Damon shook his head, "No, but she's going to be maybe ten minutes away. She's staying with Elena's brother, Jeremy, and his girlfriend."

"I want to make sure you communicate with her on a daily basis. Maybe even more than that. She'll say that she's fine, and that the altercation between herself and Tyler didn't matter, it didn't make an impression on her. Don't believe this. She's going to be broken inside because of it. Seeing Tyler again, even if it has been four years since the last time she saw him, has opened old wounds. She might start withdrawing, becoming anti-social. Don't let that happen. Maybe between yourself and Elena, you can help her."

"I feel so helpless when she tells me about her past," Damon admitted. He was surprised that he could admit this to Elijah, a man that he barely knew.

"I know," was Elijah's reply. "I can read people, Damon, read in-between the lines. When I met you for the first time, I wasn't sure about you, since I know who you are. But it's easy to feel helpless when it comes to Caroline's past. She's met a lot of snakes. But I think you could be good for her."

"How do you not hunt that son of a bitch down and kill him?" Damon asked. He honestly wanted an answer. "Tyler has hurt your sister in so many ways. Hell, a lot of people have really hut her. She's scared. She's got all those locks on her door, and her dog who protects her, and she's even got a Marine living with her. I don't understand how you can know what he's done to her and not be out for blood."

"Caroline is the reason, Damon. She wouldn't want us - any of us, honestly - to waste away in prison because of him. He's taken so many things from her, and my freedom would just be one more. Besides, Caroline's strong. She tries to see the positive in all this."

"And what's the positive?"

"Ah," Elijah said after a moment. "You've not had this talk with her. She says that no matter what she's gone through, good or bad, she doesn't regret a thing. She firmly believes that everything you face in life shapes you into who you are right now. She wouldn't be the strong woman she is today if she hadn't gone through that bullshit with Mike Jones and Tyler Lockwood."

Damon nodded.

"While she is not here, however, Damon, I think you and I should have a word. I want you to make sure that someone is in contact with Caroline all the time. This altercation just may be bad enough to start the cutting again."

"I thought she only did it once."

"Kind of, but not really. Damon, Caroline cuts when she's really depressed, or rather, when she's feeling helpless. Helpless is an emotion that Caroline just does not do. She's probably one of the most independent women I've ever met, and when shit happens, she cuts. She's gone to therapy for it three times. The first with that first foster family of hers, when she tried to commit suicide. The second was when Rebekah said all those nasty things about her, and the third time was when she ended things with Tyler. Well, rather, she was cutting before she ended things. She doesn't do helpless, Damon. Caroline wants nothing more than anything to be loved, and my sister does deserve to be loved."

Damon nodded as he saw Caroline come down the stairs, "Yes, she does."

It was then that Caroline came into the kitchen, and she stopped when she saw Damon. He smiled weakly at her.

"What the hell are you doing here, Damon? How did you know where to find me?"

"I figured you'd either go home or here. And since I really don't want to run into Klaus right now, I thought I'd try here first."

"Nik's not home," Caroline said, crossing her arms over her chest and watching Damon closely. "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry, Caroline. I'm sorry about what I said. I just got a little angry. After everything Tyler's done to you, I wanted nothing less than to rip his heart out of his chest. I want him dead, and I admit it. But I really am sorry about what I said to you. I - I just got a little overwhelmed, so I said the first thing that came to my mind. I didn't mean it."

"I've been abused by every man I've ever dated, Damon. I won't put up with it from you."

Damon nodded silently, "It won't happen again."

"If it does, it'll be the last time," Caroline said, twirling on her heels and walking out of the kitchen. Damon looked at Elijah.

"Go after her, Damon. And for God's sake, don't let her be alone."

-x-

"So are you going to tell me what that was about?" Caroline asked Damon once they were on the road. Damon glanced over at her before looking back to the road.

"What what was all about?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Damon Salvatore. Something happened between you and Elijah, and I want to know what."

"Your brother and I were just chatting," Damon said, but Caroline didn't buy it.

"Elijah does not simply just chat with anyone, Damon."

"He was telling me that I was wrong for what I said to you," Damon lied, but he could tell that Caroline was buying it. "And I'm sorry for that. It's just that when Tyler showed up, you were scared. I could see it in your face, and I know he could, too. You looked like you were going to faint, and when he raised his hand, you stepped backwards. I just wanted to protect you." _And the thought of him hitting you made me see red_ , Damon added silently, but he didn't want her to know that.

"I'm not exactly scared of him, Damon. I just...I'm intimidated. Yeah. That's a good word. Tyler Lockwood intimidates me."

"He shouldn't. He's not a man, Caroline."

"I know."

"And with this happening, I think you should seriously give consideration to doing those dresses elsewhere, especially with Tyler in town. Maybe you can get the girls to come to the boarding house.

"I'm not doing this at the boarding house, Damon. I need a bit of workspace."

"I can set you up in a room. There are nine other rooms in that house. Please do it this way to keep your overprotective boyfriend a little happier."

Caroline sighed. She never realized that her past could affect Damon this way, but it was happening. Finally, she nodded, "Okay. Set me up in a room at the boarding house and I'll do it there. But I'm still staying a few days with Bonnie."

"That's fine, Caroline. You need your friends right now."

Caroline looked at Damon quizzically. That's something that she'd never thought would come out of his mouth, not in a million years. This had to have something to do with whatever he and Elijah had been talking about. She sighed before looking at him, "Spill it, Damon."

"What?" he asked.

"Why would you tell me to go to Bonnie? You hate her. You think she's a judgmental bitch."

"how do you know whether I do or I don't?"

"Please. It's easy. Whenever the subject of her comes up, you call her _Judgey_. It's not that difficult to tell."

"So I'm not crazy about Bonnie Bennett. That's not a crime."

Caroline sighed, "But you want me to say there now?"

"I just think that your friends would be good for you right now. That's it."

Caroline fell silent, and they spent the rest of the ride in comfortable silence.

-x-

Damon and Caroline had dinner with Stefan and Elena that night, since they never got around to dinner at Maria's, and both Stefan and Elena could tell that something was off. Caroline wasn't the same as she usually was. It was true that normally, she was a little serious, but the way she was acting was on the verge of depressed. She was antsy, depressed, and very jittery. After dinner, Caroline went upstairs, telling Elena, Stefan and Damon that she was just really tired, but Elena wasn't buying it. She cornered Damon.

"Something happened," Elena said, watching Damon very closely. "What the fuck is wrong with Caroline?"

"Why would you think that something is wrong?" Damon wasn't exactly lying to Elena, but he didn't want to go around talking about Caroline's business. If she wanted Elena to know, she'd tell her.

"She's off. Sure, Caroline is usually pretty serious, but she's downright jittery right now, like she's expecting someone to come in and -" she cut herself off as her eyes widened. "She ran into someone, didn't she? Who was it?"

"We may or may not have run into someone in Richmond. Caroline's a little shook up about it, but right now she needs to be alone -"

"Being alone is the last thing she needs right now, Damon," Elena said, picking up the dishes from the table. "She needs someone there. Who'd she run into?"

"I don't know if she'd want me to tell you -"

"I swear to God, Damon, tell me or else I'll force it out of you," Elena said, pointing a knife at him. Damon just rolled his eyes and started to clear the table. He got to the spot where Caroline had been sitting and mumbled, "huh, that's funny."

"What is?"

"There's a knife missing from the table..." he started, and then his eyes widened. "Oh, God."

Damon raced up the stairs and checked the bedrooms, mumbling to himself that "there are way too many goddamn bedrooms in this place" until he found her. She was sitting on the bed, a knife in her hands.

"Caroline, what happened? What are you doing?" Damon asked, taking the knife out of her hands. "Why didn't you come to me?"

"I hate you, Damon," Caroline said softly. "I really do."

Damon sat on the bed beside her, "Why would you say that?"

"Because I wanted to cut. I wanted to more than anything else, to try and get rid of this pain that is inside. That's how I used to get rid of my inside pain - I'd cut. But you know what? I can't cut now - and it's your fault."

Damon wasn't sure what to make about what Caroline just said. Instead of asking her why she would say that, he decided to ask, "How is it my fault?"

"I used to cut to help my emotional pain. This is your fault that I can't cut - you've given me a reason not to."

"Really?" Damon asked, taking her hand. "What's the reason?"

"I, uh, I really like you, Damon, and I don't want to fuck this up. I finally have something to live for."

Damon was speechless. He was not expecting something like this. This was huge, and he wasn't sure how to respond at first, but what surprised him the most was that hearing it almost felt...comfortable. Finally, Damon sighed and then said, "Caroline, we need to talk about why I walked in to you pressing a knife to you leg."

Caroline was silent, so Damon said, "Caroline, you need to talk to me. I can help you."

"I didn't expect to see Tyler today," Caroline spoke very softly; so softly, in fact, that Damon was having a hard time hearing her. "It was a complete surprise. It's been four years."

Damon nodded, but didn't say anything.

"You were right. I'm scared of him. I'm fucking scared of Tyler Lockwood."

"You have every right to be, Caroline," Damon said after a moment, trying to remain calm. "Tyler hurt you very deeply. I'm sure he's had you scared for your life several times."

"Whatever Tyler wants, he gets. What if that's me, again? How the hell am I supposed to defend myself against him?"

"I think you should call Klaus," Damon said after a moment. "I know he's not my biggest fan, and I'm not too fond of him either, but he'd come to stay with you, you know."

"I need to start taking care of things myself. I need to start taking care of myself."

Damon nodded, but again, didn't say anything. He leaned over and hugged Caroline, letting her cry. After ten minutes of them just sitting in silence, Damon pulled out his cell phone. He didn't want to leave Caroline alone but he needed to know what to do so he sent a text to Elena. When she texted him back a confirmation, he said to Caroline, "I'm going to stay here with you tonight. Move over and lay down, I just want to hold you right now."

Downstairs, Elena pulled out her cell phone and dialed Esther's number - she knew the number by heart, after having been in contact with her for the last eight years. Elijah answered on the first ring.

"Elijah? Is that you? Elijah, this is Elena. We've got a serious problem."


	17. Chapter 17

"I told him not to leave her alone, Elena," Elijah said calmly into the phone. To someone who didn't know him very well, they'd think he was perfectly calm, but Elena knew better. He was pissed, and the next time Damon saw him, they were going to have a not so pleasant talk, "I told Damon to keep an eye on her."

"He's new at this, Elijah. We've been dealing with it for years, while Damon just came into the picture. He doesn't know the signs quite yet. He'll learn."

"What if she really cut something? You and I both know that Caroline has a hard time dealing with her emotions - especially negative ones. That's why the cutting started in the first place." 

"I know, but Damon is going to feel bad enough as it is. He doesn't need a guilt trip lecture from Caroline big brothers, okay? I'll deal with it, but you might want to get someone over here. If she's going to be thinking about cutting again right now, she can't be left alone."

"Is Damon with her right now?"

Elena nodded, even though she knew Elijah couldn't see her, "Yes. But Damon can't be with her all the time, you know, and he's got a business to run."

"I'll talk to Niklaus," Elijah offered after a moment. "He's got a special bond with Caroline."

"Klaus is going to be so pissed," Elena said to no one but herself, and she heard Elijah snort.

"Don't worry about it, Elena. I'll talk to him."

"Not just that," Elena said after a moment. "Caroline is going to be pissed, too. We're talking about her like she's a child."

"I know you're in an awkward place, you being Caroline's friend and everything, but you have to agree with me, Elena. Caroline needs to make sure she's okay. She's emotionally distraught after seeing Tyler. I know what he did to her and he'll get what's coming to him."

"You know, when you say things like that, it kind of makes me worry."

Elijah laughed, saying, "Look, I'll talk to Niklaus. You just make sure she's okay until he can get there, okay? She might not be happy about this whole thing, but at least she'll be alive in the morning, and that's all that matters. I'm pretty sure you can agree with me on that fact."

Elena hung up with Elijah and looked at Stefan. She saw the look on his face and immediately sighed and ran a hand over her face, "You think Caroline is crazy."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Admit it, Stefan. Caroline is emotionally unstable. She's been through hell, but those sleeping pills that she takes are supposed to help at least a little."

"Sleeping pills?"

Elena sighed, "Don't tell Damon, okay? I want Caroline to be able to tell him when she feels the time is right, but she takes sleeping pills. They were prescribed to her by a psychiatrist, and they have an anti-depressant in them. They help her sleep at night, because she has really vivid nightmares, and even night terrors sometimes, but they were prescribed to her mostly because she is emotionally unstable. She's usually very serious, but she ran into someone today. Elijah told me it was Tyler, and true to form, Tyler said something to get Caroline riled up. She's been through a lot."

"I know," Stefan said.

"I mean, I just want her to be happy. I want nothing more than for Caroline to beat everything she's ever been through. I want her to be a survivor - and she really is - but there's more to being a survivor than just surviving. One of the things that Caroline has a hard time with is moving on." Elena laughed. "I know it sounds confusing, but I know what I meant."

"I do too, Elena. I get it."

-x-

When Caroline woke up the next morning, her head was throbbing. She briefly recalled her attempt to cut herself, but remembered what she said to Damon. Every word she said to him had been true, however. She mentally slapped herself at that moment - she might as well have told him she loved him. He was her reason not to cut, and he was going to think that she was professing her love to him. Maybe she did feel that strongly about him - but she didn't want him to know that. She groaned.

"I've been waiting for you to wake up," came a voice, and Caroline's gaze wandered over to the armchair in the corner of the room, where she saw Klaus.

"Goddamn it, Elena," Caroline muttered. "She called you, didn't she?"

"She called Elijah. I have to say how hurt I was that she decided to confide in Elijah instead of myself."

"I don't want to go over this again, Nik," Caroline groaned. "Yes, I tried to cut myself. But you know what? I cannot bring myself to cut, and it's all Damon's fault. So you don't have to sit around and babysit me; I can handle this myself."

"How is that Damon's fault?"

"He's giving me something to live for."

"Did you say that to him?"

"Look, I was angry and it kind of just slipped out. I didn't meant to say it - you know how I am about that kind of thing."

"How did he handle it?"

"Fine. He was sweet and understanding, et cetera, et cetera," Caroline answered, not really wanting to talk to Klaus about the whole thing. "And after my run in with Tyler yesterday -"

"I heard that from Elijah, too. I'm kind of hurt that you didn't come to me after it happened - I would love to do something about him."

"Look, Nik, out of all you guys, Elijah is the one with the most level head. Besides, after my words with Damon -"

"Which Elijah also told me about -"

" - I really didn't want to come to you. You were at the shop and so was Mother, and I didn't want you guys to judge Damon too harshly. He reacted without thinking. I was angry that he didn't let me deal with Tyler myself, and I guess, for the most part, I had no right to be. After all, he did help me."

"Well, that doesn't matter. For my piece of mind, not to mention Mother's, I promised her I'd spend a few days with you. And with Tyler being here in town, we just want to make sure that he doesn't try anything with you. This is why you have me around the shop, isn't it? In case you need protecting?"

"Fine."

"Really?" Klaus asked, surprised. "I figured it'd take more to convince you."

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Please, NIk. You knew the moment you brought Mother into it, I'd agree."

"I guess you caught me. I had Elena call those girls so you could do measurements, blah blah blah, here. There's no way in hell you're going to do all that stuff at the Lockwood mansion, not with Tyler being there. So why don't you get up and get a shower so you can take care of those girls when they show up in a couple of hours."

-x-

Caroline spent a little more time in the bathroom than necessary, just looking at herself in the mirror. Part of her was mortified about her lapse in judgment - she wanted people to see that she was not pathetic, but she knew they'd look at her differently. There was nothing that bothered Caroline more than the sympathetic look people would give her whenever she went through something terrible. She hated that most people would feel badly for her, but didn't know what to say, so they didn't say anything.

Caroline sighed deeply before glancing down at the scars on her wrists. She thought back over her life and the reason that she cut in the first place. After all the hurt and heartbreak that she had known for the five years before she had found the Mikaelsons had really messed with her. She had felt so much pain that she needed to do something - anything. The cutting made things better. It was a way for her to express her aggression and not hurt anyone - other than herself. But she didn't care about herself. She knew what she could handle. There were so many times in foster care that she thought she wasn't going to survive, and then there were times that she thought about just crawling into a hole and dying. But last night, it was different. She wanted nothing more than to cut herself last night, to get rid of the internal turmoil that she was feeling, but she thought of Damon and couldn't do it.

_I'm not going to say that pain isn't going to be there, but I want to be there for you, Caroline. When the going gets tough, come to me. I can't promise I'll be the best man all the time, but I can promise that I'll try. I will fucking try, Caroline. Please believe that."_

Those words were in her head. She remembered him saying them, and she couldn't get them out of her head when she had that knife pressed to her flesh. She wasn't sure why, but they were swirling in her head and she couldn't get them out. There were things about Damon that she absolutely loved, although she would never admit it to him - at least, not yet. When she had told him about things she had been through, he looked absolutely horrified. Even the first time she had opened up to him, when they were drinking after the Carol Lockwood fiasco, and she had told him that Esther hadn't been able to adopt her because she had been deemed "unadoptable", he looked extremely angry.

Her thoughts about Damon were cut short by a knock on the bathroom door, "Hey, Care? You okay?"

Of course. Of fucking course it was Klaus, checking up on her. She opened the door and looked at him.

"I was just making sure that you didn't drown yourself," he said, trying to lighten the mood, but she scowled at him.

"Look, Caroline, I know you're not too happy with us right now, but we're doing this to help you. We love you and don't like it when you don't care about yourself."

"I care about myself just fine, Nik," she answered, sighing deeply.

"No, you don't. If you cared anything about yourself, you wouldn't cut yourself like this. I mean, look," Klaus said, grabbing her arm. "Look at these marks. Do you think someone who cared about themselves _at all_ would cut themselves like that?"

He was being tough, and he knew it, but he was trying to get a message through. Caroline had cut herself for years before anyone caught on, and there were several in-between the times she had done it, but most of the time Klaus would try to be nice about it. He was done being nice. "You are relapsing, Caroline. You need to find a better outlet for your anger."

"I wasn't angry, Nik!" She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "I wasn't angry," she repeated, calming her temper. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking, okay? I was feeling a bunch of emotions at the same time, and I was so...I was so fucking aggravated that I needed to do _something_. I'm sorry that I have a hard time dealing with my emotions."

"We're just looking out for you, Care," Klaus said, and Caroline sighed dramatically.

"I know, but...just ugh!" she exclaimed, leaving the room. She ran down the stairs and left the boarding house, slamming the door in the process. She wasn't sure where the hell she was going, but she just needed to get out of her - at least, for now. She had walked almost an mile when she heard footsteps behind her. A normal person wouldn't hear it, but after everything that Caroline had been through, she had become pretty perceptive. She looked back and saw Elena chasing after her.

"Good God, just leave me alone!" she screamed. Caroline stopped walking because she knew she couldn't outrun Elena. Elena walked up to Caroline and wrapped her arms around her friend, hugging her. Caroline was fighting her, but after a moment, with tears streaming down her face, she gave in and hugged Elena back.

"Shh, Caroline, it's okay," Elena whispered to her, stroking her hair. "You're going to be okay."

The hug lasted a few moments with Caroline crying on her best friend's shoulder, and then they pulled apart. Elena wiped a tear away from Caroline's eye, "I know you're hurting right now, Care. I know you're probably feeling a clusterfuck of emotions right now. I get it. Tyler's a son of a bitch who hurt you more than anybody's ever hurt you, and he's got this hold over you. You're scared of him, and I get it. You have every right to be terrified of him, after everything he did to you. You have to understand, though, we want what's best for you."

Caroline pulled herself out of Elena's embrace and just watched her, "God, Elena, all this emotion, it fucking hurts. I don't know how to not pay attention to it. I feel it, Elena, and I don't know what to do because of it."

"You take one day at a time, Care. It's what you've always done. Your life has been difficult, it's true, but Caroline, you've done something that nobody expected."

"And what's that?"

"You survived. You took everything everybody dished out, and you're stronger because of it. Tyler tried to break you, and he didn't succeed. Everybody in foster care set you up to fail, but you didn't, did you? You didn't fail. You survived. You may have battle scars because of it, but that doesn't matter. You're still here, and very strong. They didn't squash the fire that you have inside of you - if anything, they just made it stronger."

"I would've done anything to have a different life, Elena," Caroline said, voicing something that she'd never said out loud before. "I mean, I know all my heartbreak and stuff has made me who I am today, and I like who I am, but I don't have any normal experiences. All I know is hurt and I just...I don't know what it's like to be normal."

Elena reached over and pulled her friend in for another hug, "No matter what, Caroline. You are my sister. We are family. The bond we have is too strong for you to be anything else."

Caroline's eyes widened, "I just...I don't want to go back, Elena." She was practically whining now. "I haven't seen Damon since last night, and...oh God, he must think that I'm a total psycho or something."

"He doesn't, Care," Elena said soothingly. "In fact, he was more worried about you than anything."

"I bet you guys were up all night, just discussing me," Caroline said. Elena wasn't sure if she meant to sound annoyed and irritable, but she decided to just go with it.

"We weren't. After Damon went up to check on you, he didn't come down at all. I mean, I discussed things with Elijah and Stefan, but Damon didn't have anything to do with that. I promise you that."

Caroline knew Elena was serious. If there was one thing that totally described Elena, it was that when she promised or swore something, she never went back on her word, not ever. But Caroline was still a little hesitant about going back and facing Damon.

"If you discussed this with Stefan, he's going to think I'm some kind of psycho, too!" Caroline was starting to panic. "Oh God, they both are going to think -"

"Listen to me, Caroline Forbes," Elena said, taking her friend by the shoulders and looking into her eyes. "You have a hard time dealing with your emotions. You put on a brave face for the world, not letting anyone know what's bothering you. How is anybody supposed to help when they don't know what's wrong?"

Caroline made a face, "I shouldn't need the help. I should buck up and take care of myself."

Elena shook her head, "No, Care. Everyone needs help at one point or another. I know that you are independent, but don't be so proud that you don't take help from anyone. We all love you and want what's best for you."

Caroline sighed, "Are you sure?"

Elena nodded, "I am positive. You are surrounded by people who care. You can always rely on us, I can promise you that."

With that, Caroline followed Elena back to the boarding house.

-x-

Caroline could've done the measuring and everything in one day, she realized after the girls were gone, but decided she was going to stay in Mystic Falls anyway to spend time with Bonnie. She hadn't spent much time with her since she moved to Richmond and she wanted to get close to her again. So, with Klaus right behind her, she walked up the path to the Gilbert house. When she knocked on the door, Bonnie answered it, and Caroline broke out into a big grin.

"It's been a while," Caroline said after Bonnie moved aside so she and Klaus could get in. They went to sit in the living room.

"I know. I thought we could do a movie night." Bonnie looked at Klaus, "You'd probably hate it. We're just going to watch sappy movies."

Klaus nodded, and Caroline looked at Bonnie, "What's Jeremy doing tonight?"

"He said something about meeting Matt at the Grill."

"You should go," Caroline said to Klaus. "I mean, you don't have to hang out with Jeremy and Matt, but you should go and get a drink. It'd be good for you."

"I'm supposed to be here -"

"To protect me," Caroline finished for him. "I know. But am I going to be able to hurt myself in front of Bonnie? I don't do that, and you know it."

"Fine," Klaus finally agreed reluctantly. "I'll go. I'll be back later, though."

"Thank you," Caroline said as Klaus left. Bonnie raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"You don't have to look at me like that, Bonnie Bennett," Caroline said, noting the look on her friend's face. "I know what you're thinking."

Bonnie cocked her head to the side, "So, tell me what I'm thinking."

"You're thinking that I solved the cutting problem years ago. You're thinking that I'm a psycho for even attempting it again."

"That is not what I was thinking, for your information. I was wondering why Klaus showed up with you."

Caroline sighed and told Bonnie about the night before. She told her everything, from seeing Tyler at Maria's, to going to the boarding house and having dinner, to Damon walking in to find a knife pressed to her leg. Bonnie's eyes grew wide and she gasped as Caroline finished her story.

"Wow, Care. Why?"

"Well, because I was emotionally distraught," Caroline answered truthfully. "Besides that, whenever I go through things like this, it makes me feel almost numb. I cut to feel again. It helps me."

"Aren't you ever afraid you're going to cut too deep? You could bleed to death."

"I never cut very deep," Caroline said. "It's to ease emotional pressure. I know what I'm doing."

"That's what a lot of people say, Care. I mean, isn't that why people turn to drugs and alcohol? And people die from drug overdoses and alcoholism every day."

"That's besides the point, Bon. The point is that I can't cut anymore. Damon said something to me weeks ago at my mother's, and it's in my head. I just can't seem to get it out."

"So, you and Damon, huh?" Bonnie looked slightly amused. "How the hell did that happen?"

Caroline smiled , "With his persistence, and maybe a little push from Rose and Elena."

"You know Rose? As in Damon's ex?"

Her eyes grew wide, "Does everybody know bout that?"

"You don't live in Mystic Falls, Care," Bonnie said with a shrug. She got up and grabbed a couple of bottles of water out of the fridge, handing one to Caroline. "Everybody knows about Damon, and he gives the town a lot to gossip about."

"Not anymore, though...right?"

Bonnie smiled, "No, not anymore, although people are talking about you and him quite a bit. You've done the impossible, Care."

"And what's that?"

"You made him feel again. After everything that happened between him and Katherine, he shut everything off. He hid behind sarcasm and alcohol. The only people who even recognized how hurt he was were me, Elena and Stefan. But there's something about you."

"There's something about him, too," Caroline replied, smiling. "I don't know, Bon...he's amazing. I mean, really. And he fits in so nicely with my family - well, everybody but Nik, but he barely gets along with anyone."

"You're his little sister, Care," Bonnie said. "I'm sure that you mean a lot to him, just like he means a lot to you."

"He does, Bon," Caroline answered. "In fact, I'd do absolutely anything for him."


	18. Chapter 18

Klaus sat at the bar at the Grill that night, nursing a glass of scotch, when Damon came up to him.

"What're you doing here?" Damon asked him.

"Caroline wanted some girl time with Bonnie."

"Yeah, but I thought -"

"Damon, she's not going to be able to hurt herself with Bonnie, right? Besides that, Bonnie knows Caroline's a cutter, and I know that she won't leave her alone."

Damon sat down at the bar beside Klaus, "is she like Elena?"

"What does that even mean?"

"It means I know how tight Elena is with your family. I know that your mother thinks of Elena as her own child."

Klaus smiled, "Elena's been around as long as Caroline. We've built up this trust with her. She only wants Caroline's best interest and happiness. I mean, I don't know her as well as my brothers do, but mostly because I've been overseas a lot and they live here all the time."

"And what about Bonnie?"

"Bonnie is nothing like Elena. I mean, we've met her a couple of times, and she's always really nice, and she knows a little bit about what Caroline went through in the system, but she doesn't know everything."

"Bonnie is a good person, Damon," Kol piped up from in back of the bar. "But Caroline told me that you call her Judgey."

"I do. Bonnie and I never really got along."

"it's because she didn't approve of your man whoring ways," came a voice from behind him, and Klaus looked back at Matt and Jeremy. "You know how she feels about that kind of stuff."

Jeremy stuck out his hand to Klaus, "We've never been properly introduced. I'm Jeremy Gilbert."

"Elena's brother?"

He nodded, "Yes. Every time Elena or I have been at your mother's house, you've been away."

"Jeremy and I are mates," Kol said, speaking to Klaus.

"You have friends, Kol?" Klaus asked, rather rudely. Kol just laughed.

"You're staying at my house, right? Do you know for how long?" Jeremy asked.

Klaus shook his head, "I don't know. I think that Mother is staying at Caroline's shop for a couple more days."

He stayed at the Grill and chatted with Jeremy, Damon, Matt and Kol for a couple of hours before looking at the clock on the wall. It read ten o'clock.

"I've really got to go check in with Caroline," Klaus said, setting some money down on the bar. He went back to the house, went inside, and laughed softly at what he saw.

Caroline was asleep on the couch. Not just that, but her head was at one end, her arm was hanging off the couch, one leg was up over the back of it and the other leg was twisted around. It had to be the most uncomfortable sleeping position Klaus had ever witnessed. He went over and straightened her out a little, knowing that he wouldn't be able to wake her up. Caroline slept like the dead. She was a really heavy sleeper, and the only things that woke her up were loud noises - and they had to be extremely loud, like fire alarm loud - and her nightmares. After straightening her out, he stood back for a moment and watched her sleep.

"She fell asleep not even halfway into the first movie," a voice came from behind him. He looked behind him and saw Bonnie. "She must've been exhausted."

"You know, she ran into Tyler yesterday," Klaus said after a moment. "She's been a little out of it since then."

Bonnie nodded, "The douchebag seems to have some kind of hold over her. She told me about running into him, and I just wish there was a way that I could help her out. Caroline's been through a lot. Granted, I don't know about all of it, but part of me wonders if I'd be able to handle all of it."

Klaus was silent, so Bonnie continued, "I really admire her, y'know? She's been through all that shit, but she manages to put on a brave face and face the world. She doesn't wallow in self-pity. In fact, if you don't know Caroline very well, you wouldn't know anything was wrong."

"She's good at hiding stuff like that. But, then again, she's always had to. In a world where nobody cares about you and they want to see you fail, you have to be able to pick yourself back up again. Nobody else is going to do it for you."

Bonnie nodded, "I know. And that fact is pretty freaking sad."

-x-

Bonnie and Caroline met Elena for breakfast at the Grill the next morning. Elena had just slid into the booth when she looked at Caroline, "You need to call Damon."

"I just saw him yesterday," Caroline said. The waitress came an got their order and then Caroline said, "What's wrong?"

"He's worried about you. Going in and finding you the way he kinda fucked up his mind, Care. He's not used to seeing people like that, especially people he loves."

"Damon doesn't love me," Caroline said.

"I don't know if he does or not, Care, but you're special to him," Elena answered. "I mean, he cares for you very much. Are you going to sit there and tell me he doesn't mean anything to you?"

"He means something to me, Elena," Caroline said. "He really does. It's like...he's perfect."

Elena giggled, "Damon is definitely not perfect, Care."

"I mean, he's patient, and honest, and treats me with respect. He acts like I'm the most important person he's ever met, and he never rushes me or pushes me into thing. I mean something to him. He also makes me feel beautiful, which is something I've never felt about myself before. He's amazing."

"I never thought I'd hear someone say such things about Damon," Bonnie said, and Elena nodded in agreement.

The waitress brought their food and Elena said, "I really think you ought to tell Damon how you feel."

"I can't," Caroline said, taking a bite of her pancakes. "When you tell someone that kind of stuff, you -"

"Give them ammunition to hurt you with," Elena and Bonnie finished for her in unison.

"Right," Caroline said. "I just...I can't take a chance."

"I've been telling you since you and Damon started dating, Care," Elena said, taking a sip of her coffee, "put a little trust in him. I know you've been hurt, but you trust me, don't you?"

"Of course I do. With my life."

"I've known Damon Salvatore for a long time, since Stefan and I were kids. In fact, our parents were friends, remember? Damon's like a big brother to me. Not only that, but Damon would've never let you in this far if he was just going to let you fall. You mean more to him than anybody has in a really long time. He feels something for you, and Damon's never been heartless."

"Huh," Caroline laughed. Elena and Bonnie looked at her like she was crazy.

"Oh, you just reminded me of Rose," Caroline commented, taking a bite of bacon. "She said the very same thing a few days ago."

"Well, it's true. Damon has never been heartless. He won't intentionally hurt someone, or even set them up to fall. He would never do that."

Caroline made a face.

"Well, anyway, _I_ trust Damon not to hurt you. I trust Damon Salvatore with _my_ life. Can you trust me on my judgment call?"

Caroline nodded, "I'll try."

"Really?"

"Yes," Caroline said. "I'm going to try and put a little trust in him. It's going to be hard, but I'm going to try."

-x-

Before Caroline left Mystic Falls the next afternoon, she stopped by the boarding house. When Damon answered the door, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and kissed him. He was surprised for a moment but then reciprocated the kiss. His tongue slid across her bottom lip, silently asking for access, and she opened her mouth, granting it to him. He wrapped one arm around her waist, resting his hand on the small of her back. Caroline sighed contentedly; she could easily stand here and make out with him all afternoon. However, she needed to get back to Richmond. She really didn't want to, but she broke the kiss anyway.

"What was that for?" Damon asked her.

"I felt like it," Caroline said, shrugging.

"Come in," Damon said, stepping aside. "You're letting the cold air in."

"You act like it's the middle of winter. It's only September," Caroline said, but came inside anyway. "I can't stay for long. Nik wants to get home, and I don't have my car so I have to ride with him. I just wanted to see you before I left town."

"I appreciate it," Damon said honestly.

"Look, I don't know when the next time I'm going to be able to see you is, but Mother is having a little get together next weekend. Elijah finished the case he was working on and he and Rose are going home next Sunday. Mother wants to do a dinner party on Saturday night, and I'd love it if you'd come with me. I mean, Mother would like it too - she adores you, you know."

"I'd love to," Damon said. "What time?"

"Six. I also wanted to tell you, Damon, that Elena and Bonnie and I had breakfast at the Grill yesterday, and..." she paused, trying to figure out how to tell him what she was feeling. "I just want you to know that you mean a great deal to me. I...I care about you a lot. You're perfect."

At this, Damon scoffed, "Caroline, I'm the furthest thing from perfect there is."

"You treat me well. I mean, you're patient, and honest, and treat me with respect. You act like I'm the most important person you've ever met, and never rush me or push me into things. I can tell that you care about me. And, the best of all, you make me feel beautiful. You make me feel like I'm worth it and that I'm wanted, and sexy, and when I'm around you, I feel better about myself."

Damon wasn't sure what to say, so he just said, "You deserve it, Caroline. You _are_ beautiful, you now that? You're the most stunning thing I've seen in a long time."

Caroline smiled weakly, "I bet you tell every girl that."

"Not in a really long time."

Caroline threw her arms around Damon's neck. He hugged her back, savoring the moment. After a few moments, which felt way too soon, in Damon's opinion, she pulled away. He saw that she had a stray tear on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"I'm fine," she said, wiping away the tear with the back of her hand. "I just really don't want to go. But I've got to. I'll see you next weekend, okay? Come to my house on Friday and you can spend the weekend with me."

Damon nodded, "Sure."

She turned to leave, but then turned back, "And since I know he won't ask, Kol needs Saturday night off. Mother would really like him to be at that party, too. You think you could find a replacement for him that night?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah, I'll try."

Caroline nodded and left. When he was sure that she was gone, Damon went into the parlor and poured himself a glass of bourbon. He sat down in a chair and just watched the fire. He was trying to figure out what he felt for Caroline. Like she did, he felt a strong pull towards her. He wanted to spend more time with her, and this living two hours apart thing didn't help any. He knew it was going to be difficult, but they'd survive. The problem was that he wanted to spend every waking moment with her, talking to her, feeling her. He couldn't do that and focus on the things that needed to get done as well. That's when he pulled out his phone and called Matt.

"Hey Boss," Matt said, answering his phone on the first ring. "What's going on?"

"Can you tend bar on Saturday night" Damon asked, drinking the rest of the bourbon that was in his glass. "Caroline's family is having a party and her mother wants me and Kol there. Or is managing the bar and the restaurant too much for you to handle?"

"No, it's fine. Not a big deal, I promise you."

"Okay, good," Damon said, sighing. "I'm coming in in a bit and so I'll talk to you later?"

"Sure."

Damon wasn't sure how long he had been staring at the fire when he heard someone come in.

"Damon, what're you doing?" Elena asked. "Where's Caroline?"

"She went home," he said to her. "She had things to do."

"I know," Elena said softly. "I was actually just wondering." She went over and sat on the couch that was near Damon, "So...do you wanna talk about it?"

"About what?" he asked her.

"C'mon, Damon, we've known each other a long time," Elena started. "Don't bullshit me. Something's wrong - I can tell - and I'm not going to go away without you telling me what it is."

"Everybody's taken advantage of her, Elena," Damon almost whispered. "They've treated her like shit. They've made her feel like she isn't worth anything. She's really beautiful, you know? But she doesn't believe it. How is it that _I'm_ the one who makes her okay with herself? I've fucked up more than anybody I've ever met. How am I the good guy in all this?"

"You care about her, Damon," Elena said, watching him carefully. "Caroline's been hurt over and over again. She has a hard time trusting people. Did she tell you something today?

Damon nodded, telling Elena what Caroline had said. It was practically the same thing that Caroline had told Elena and Bonnie at breakfast yesterday. Elena watched Damon as he repeated, "How am I the good guy in all this?"

"She's special, Damon -"

"Exactly!" he said, his voice rising. "She's something special. How can nobody else see that? She's an amazing woman. How could that family abuse her the way that they did? How could that bitch of a case worker tell her that she was unadoptable?" Damon stood up and started pacing, which was something that he didn't do often. "How could Tyler hurt her like he did?"

"Caroline was dealt a bad hand, Damon," Elena said, trying to comfort him. "She was. All those people who hurt her were just bad people who set her up to fail. She did something that nobody expected, though. She survived. And Caroline's got a fire about her - she doesn't bend to societal norms. She doesn't do what's expected of her. She's a strong, independent woman. But she would've never been like this if all that shit hadn't happened to her."

There was silence. Damon was pacing, and Elena wondered what was going through his head. She had known Damon for a long time, since they both had grown up in Mystic Falls, and the Gilberts and the Salvatores had been good friends, and most of the time she could get a pretty good read on his emotions. This, however, was not one of those times.

"What are you thinking, Damon?"

"I hate that she's hurt so much. I hate the fact that she an't trust anyone. I just...ugh!" He picked up a glass and threw it into the fire. "Everything she's been through makes me want to hunt down those fuckers and just end them - all of them. I don't understand how Caroline's brothers haven't done anything about them."

"Caroline wouldn't want them to," Elena said, and Damon knew she was right. "That'd just be something else those douchebags robbed her of. I'm sure Elijah explained that to you."

Damon ran a hand through his hair, "I bet you Elijah's pretty pissed with me right now."

"Why?"

"Because I left Caroline alone. I knew she was a cutter - I _knew_ it - and yet, I let her go. If I hadn't gotten there in time..." his voice trailed off. "God, Elena, she would've hurt herself. And it would've been my fault."

"Listen to me, Damon," Elena said, standing. She went over and took him by the shoulders. "It wasn't your fault. Her temptation to cut was too great - I didn't think about it, either. Tyler fucked with her mind. Caroline has this amazing ability to not let anybody know what she's feeling or thinking. She hides it all because people could use it to their advantage. She will _never_ let anybody know that they hurt her.She won't give them the satisfaction. You know it and so do I."

"Maybe," he said reluctantly. "I hate this, Elena. I hate all the hurt she's ever had."

Elena nodded, "Yeah, me too. Me too."

-x-

"Did you have a good time?" Esther asked Caroline as she picked at her pasta. Caroline had insisted on taking Esther to dinner since they hadn't had much mother/daughter time and so now they were sitting in a booth at Maria's. "I mean, you got to see your friends, right?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah. I got to see them. I spent the first night with Damon and Elena, and then I went over to Bonnie's and we watched movies. Well, she watched movies. I kind of fell asleep in the middle of _The Notebook_."

"That's one of your favorites."

Caroline nodded again, "I know. I was just really worn out."

"Care," Esther said after a moment, "I've been talking with Elijah and Niklaus, and I think - well, _we_ , really - think that you should go to anger management. They've got that support group for people who cut at the hospital, and -"

"I'm not crazy," Caroline interrupted.

"I don't think that you are," Esther answered. Something that Caroline loved about her mother was the fact that she had the most patience out of anybody she'd ever met. "I just think that you'd been hit with a lot of things all at once. I think it'll be good for you, Sweetheart."

"In case Nik didn't inform you, I didn't cut myself. I couldn't."

"I know that, too," Esther said, remembering the conversation she had with Elijah when he told her that very same thing. "But I worry about you, Caroline. It's a mother's prerogative to worry about her children, you know."

Caroline nodded, "I know."

"Just promise you'll go once. Just once. That way you can know if it's something that you want to do. It couldn't hurt, you know. A lot of these people have some of the same issues you do."

"My issues set me apart from everybody, Mother," Caroline said after a moment. "I'm sick and tired of people looking at me like I'm different. I'm not any different than anybody else."

"Your experiences make you who you are, Care," Esther said, taking a bite of her lasagna. "You can probably agree with me on that." She paused for a moment as Caroline nodded. "The way people have treated you your entire life is not excusable. You've been hurt, and you can admit that. But there's more to it than that. I mean, Elena has never treated you differently, has she?"

"No, but -"

"No buts, Caroline. Not everybody treats you abnormally. Elena is your best friend, and she's practically my daughter. She cares about you a lot. She's helped you so much in your life."

"Elena's different, Mother. She's always been there for me, even when nobody else was. When I was beaten, broken and bruised in the Jones' household, she never left me - not once. It if hadn't been for her, my case worker wouldn't have taken me out of that house. I owe my whole life to her, you know."

"I know that, and I know that you trust Elena with everything you've got," Esther answered. "But, Caroline, Elena is not the only good person in the world. The others are there, they're just...a little harder to find. Just because you haven't found them yet, doesn't mean that don't exist. No, it means that you just have to look a little harder for them. But they're there, I can promise you that."


	19. Chapter 19

It seemed like the week was never going to end. It was only Wednesday, and Caroline had thought about Damon several times already that week. She missed him more than she probably should've, and that scared her. She had talked to him on the pone and through texts several times that week, at least once a day, but she missed his touch.

God, his touch. She wanted him to touch her again, in a way that only he could. Her last visit to the boarding house hadn't gone too great, with her trying to cut and everything, but right now, her body ached for his touch. No man had ever made her want them the way she wanted Damon Salvatore. She was half tempted to drive to Mystic Falls just to see him, but knew that she shouldn't. She was swamped with orders in the dress shop, and even though she was bringing in someone to help her, she needed to get started on them.

She was sitting at her sewing machine, hemming a dress, when she heard the bell ring above her door. She got up and went into the front room, where she saw him.

"Damon!" she yelled, jumping into his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to see you," he said, smiling at her. "Besides, Matt's taking over the Grill. I mean, he's managing it. He practically told me to come and see you."

She lowered her head and brushed her lips over his. She closed her eyes and sighed contentedly. He felt amazing; his lips so soft and warm and they made the dull ache she had between her legs seemed so much more than that. She slid her tongue across his lower lip, asking for access, and he granted it to her. They kissed for a while before Caroline heard someone clear their throat behind her.

"Care, do I need to remind you that you're in a public place?" Klaus asked as Damon set her on the ground and she turned to look at him. "If I have to actually walk out here to see your tongue down his throat again..." his voice trailed off and he shuddered. "You're my little sister. I don't want to witness that. If you're going to do that, you should at least take him into your office."

"Hey, good idea," she said, and Klaus just rolled his eyes. Caroline led Damon back to her office by the hand and she shut the door behind her. She kissed him again, this time without anyone to witness it, and she just felt like she was in heaven. She moved him backwards without breaking the kiss, and he felt something hit his heels. He sat down, finding there was a couch behind him, and Caroline straddled his hips. Absentmindedly, she started to grind down on him, feeling his hardness. It had been way too long since she had felt him inside of her and she ached for him.

She started kissing down his neck, nipping at his collar bone, and he had to stop her, "I really hate to do this, but what has gotten into you?"

"I missed you, Damon. And I need you." She nipped at his earlobe before whispering huskily in his ear, "I need to feel you inside me."

Damon took a deep breath. This incredibly horny version of Caroline was one that he hadn't seen before, and it turned him on. He could feel himself get hard just by the way she was talking to him. He cleared his throat, "Don't you think we ought to wait until you get home for that?"

"Nobody'll bother us," she said. "Nik knows how to take orders."

Damon grabbed Caroline by the shoulders, "I can't believe I'm saying this, because I've got to be bat shit insane, but we can't do this right now, Caroline. I thought we could at least have dinner first."

Caroline sighed, sitting back to look at him, and ran a hand through her hair. After a few moments, she spoke, "Don't you want me?"

"Of course I do," he said, watching her. "You have no idea how much I fucking want you. But good things come to those who wait, you know."

Caroline sighed, getting off his lap, "Fine. Do you want to go out tonight? We can go grab a bite at Maria's, since, you know, the last time we were there things didn't end so well."

"Sounds great."

"Terrific," she said, running a hand through her hair. She went to open the door to her office, "I've got to finish hemming a dress I'm working on. It shouldn't take much longer, and then we can go."

She went to her back room and finished hemming the dress. She sighed to herself; she had so much work to do. She was just putting the dress in a garment bag when she felt a presence behind her.

"It's not nice to stare, Damon," she said as she hung up the garment bag.

"Sorry," Damon's voice came out. "How'd you know I was back here? Do you have eyes in the back of your head or something?" He came up to her and put his arms around her waist.

She leaned back into his embrace, "No eyes in the back of my head. When you've been through everything I've been through, you learn to be super aware of your surroundings. Besides, Nik knows not to sneak up on me."

"Makes sense."

She turned around, "So, I'm done. You want to get that bite now?"

Damon nodded.

"Great. I'll just tell Nik we're leaving." She went out and told Klaus that she and Damon were headed to Maria's. She even offered for him to come and get a bite to eat with them, but he declined. He muttered something about not wanting to be around "lovesick couples that make me want to gag" and turned around. Caroline laughed, telling him that she'd see him at home, linked her arm through Damon's, and they left.

When they went into Maria's, she greeted them warmly, "It's so nice to see you, Miss Caroline," she said in her broken accent. "It's especially nicer than it was the last time."

Caroline nodded, "Yes. Yes, it definitely is."

Maria showed them to a booth and stopped to chat with Caroline for a moment, "My _madre_ is having a party in a couple of months. It's my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary."

"Wow. Congratulations."

" _Grazie_. We wondering if you could make her a dress."

"Who's we?"

"Well, me and my _padre_. Mama doesn't want to ask, he told me you have a couple big projects right now."

"I do," Caroline said, nodding. "Send her into my shop on Monday and I'll get her measurements. I'll see what I can do."

" _Grazie_ , Miss Caroline," Maria said. "I'll get your usual started. And for you, _signore_?" she asked Damon.

He ordered and she left.

"You've got your plate full with the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, Caroline," Damon said after Maria had gone. "How can you take on any more?"

"That's not true."

"What's not true?"

"That I'm doing the Miss Mystic Falls dresses, so my plate is full. No, my plate is full with the thirty orders that also came in this wek."

"Thirty?! You've gotten thirty orders?"

Caroline nodded, "Yes, I've gotten thirty orders this week - and it's only Wednesday." 

"What are you going to do?"

"Well, I'm bringing in a friend from fashion school. She wanted a change of scenery, a change of pace, after she broke up with her controlling douche of an ex. You might know her; she grew up in Mystic Falls."

"Really?" Damon asked, suddenly intrigued. "Who?"

"April Young."

"Pastor Young's daughter?" Damon asked. Caroline nodded.

"Wow. I haven't heard anything about her in years."

"She went to some churchy boarding school and then decided she wanted to be a stylist, so she went to fashion school the same year as me. We became friends in Chicago. She's going to be staying with me until she can find her own place."

"When is she coming? And where is she supposed to be sleeping?"

"She's supposed to be here tomorrow afternoon. And she offered to sleep on the couch."

"The couch?" Damon raised an eyebrow. "That's not going to be very comfortable."

"I offered to share my bed with her," Caroline said, and that's when Damon gave her a look.

"Not like that," she said, playfully slapping his arm. "I've slept in the same bed with my friends before. It's not a big deal. Besides, she knows that Nik lives there, and she just wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable. That's kind of the way it is with April."

Damon nodded and their dinner came. Caroline sniffed her food before she put it in her mouth, and Damon laughed, "Do you think it's poisoned or something?"

Caroline laughed, "No,. I smell my food. It's just a thing with me."

During dinner, Caroline let her hand brush against Damon's thigh a couple of times. She was still very horny and wanting him very badly, and then her hand brushed up against his hard-on.

"What do you think you're doing, Caroline?" he asked through gritted teeth, his voice low.

"Huh?" Caroline asked innocently. She took a sip of her water.

"I know what you're doing," he said to her, his voice still low. "And I need you to cut it out."

Caroline just smiled at him innocently.

The rest of the meal couldn't pass quickly enough for Damon. He wanted to get out of there and back to her house. After she paid for the meal - he had wanted to pay, but she insisted, saying that he had spent a small fortune on her already - they left and Damon was positive that he'd burst before they got to her house. He followed her inside and, once there, she pulled him to her and kissed him with everything she had been holding back. She slid her hands up his shirt to feel his bare chest and he groaned at her touch.

Damon picked Caroline up, his lips still attached to hers, and carried her up the stairs to her bedroom. He closed her bedroom door with his foot and set her down on the bed. The thing that unnerved Caroline, however, was the look in his eye. He looked like...like he was the hunter and she was the prey. As she lay down on the same bed, his body covered hers as she pulled him in for a kiss. Their tongues battled and Caroline moaned into the kiss. He felt so wonderful to her. He moved himself so one of his legs was in-between hers and they just lay there for a few moments, making out. It felt like they had been doing it forever, yet no time had passed at all.

"I could lie here all day and just kiss you," Caroline said as Damon peppered kisses on her face and neck. He smiled against her skin.

He went back to her lips and kissed her deeply. He pulled his shirt up and broke the kiss so he could pull it over his head. He threw it by the end of the bed and went back to her lips. Damon pushed her back and started kissing her body. He cupped her breast through her bra and kissed his way back up to her mouth. She sat up a little so she could unhook her bra and let it fall to the floor.

A few minutes later, with Caroline's discarded clothes strewn across the room, Damon laid her down and kissed her lips, hew neck, and started kissing his way down her body. He cupped one breast and took a nipple in his mouth, sucking on it and then biting gently. Caroline moaned loudly. Damon smirked against her skin as he took her other nipple in his mouth. He started kissing down her even further, open mouth kisses on her abs and stomach, and then settled himself in-between her legs. He started kissing up one calf and reached her thigh, and then the other one. He wanted to know how long it would take her to ask.

He avoided her center, where she wanted him the most, and he was driving her crazy with kisses. Finally, she whispered, "Please Damon. Taste me."

He looked up at her and she noticed his eyes were dark with lust, "What was that? I didn't hear you."

A little louder, she said, "I said, please taste me, goddamn it. I need to feel your tongue on me, in me."

He smirked against her skin, "That's more like it." And then he dove in, licking up her slit once, twice, then three times before he started fucking her with his tongue. Caroline wasn't sure how she had gone all this time not knowing what oral sex felt like; it was amazing. Caroline's eyes rolled back as Damon sucked her clit into his mouth. He inserted two fingers, pumping them in and out of her and she groaned. She could feel her orgasm burning in her belly, like a fire starting, and she needed release. Her moans were turning Damon on more and more, and he curled his fingers up to reach her g-spot and he bit her clit gently and she shattered. Fireworks burst in front of her eyes and she bit her lip to suppress the scream that was starting.

"Why are you being so quiet, Caroline?" Damon asked her. "I like to hear you."

Caroline smiled and then said, "Because my brother is here. I'm sure he doesn't want to hear me. That would be a little awkward."

Damon shrugged as Caroline lowered herself to her knees on the floor. Her eyes never left his as she licked her palm and then wrapped it around his shaft. She bit her bottom lip and stroked him, and it turned him on so much that he growled. It was a fucking turn on. She felt herself growing wet just by that. She put her mouth on him, alternating between sucking and licking, and twisted her hand around his shaft. Damon's eyes rolled back and he couldn't help the groan that came from his mouth. She was getting him close, so close that he grabbed her by the hand and pulled her up. He went over and lay on her bed, and she grabbed a condom out of her bedside table and tore the foil package, rolling it onto him, and then sunk down on his cock. She groaned at the feeling of him filling her. Every time with Damon felt like the first time and Caroline loved it.

Caroline started moving, slowly at first, but then started to increase speed. Damon grabbed her hips as she rode him and she started to increase speed. Surprising her, Damon sat up and Caroline felt him go deeper inside. She was on cloud nine. Knowing that she was close, Damon reached in-between their bodies and started rubbing Caroline's clit in slow circles. She felt like she was going to explode, and since it'd been a while since Damon had her like this, he knew he wouldn't last long, either. He brought his fingers to his lips, wet them, and took them back to rubbing her clit. Caroline leaned forward just a little and kissed Damon, slowly and sensually. He was giving her the delicious friction she needed, and it wasn't long before he felt her clamp down around him and he exploded, too.

He pulled the condom off himself and threw it in the wastebasket by his bed as he lay down and held her. She was still shaking from her orgasm as he held her, kissing her lightly on the shoulder. Caroline closed her eyes as Damon held her, telling herself that she was only going to rest for a few minutes.

When she woke up again, it was dark outside and she was covered up with the quilt she left on her bed. Groggily, she sat up and looked around the room, but Damon wasn't there. Caroline sighed, slipping on a pair of cheer shorts and an oversized t-shirt. She went downstairs to see Damon involved in some Xbox game with...Klaus?

"What're you guys doing?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was after nine. She stretched before yawning and then said, "And since when do you even talk to each other, let alone play games together?"

Damon paused the game and both he and Klaus looked back at her.

"Did you know that your boyfriend is a closet Halo fan?" Klaus asked. Caroline just rolled her eyes. 

"Don't tell me you don't like Halo," Damon said. Caroline sighed, "I play once in a while with Nik, or Elijah, and sometimes Kol. But I have better things to do with my time."

"What's better than Halo?" Damon asked, smirking.

"Umm, work. I've got thirty orders to fill."

"Care, I think you should wait for April to get here. That way you have help," Klaus said.

Caroline shrugged, "Fine. I"m going back to bed." She kissed Klaus on the cheek and then pecked Damon on the lips. "Hopefully you'll make it to bed eventually. But I've got to open the shop at eight AM." With that, she turned and went back up to her bedroom. She took her sleeping pill with a glass of water, because she knew that Klaus and Esther had been right; it didn't matter if Damon was here or not, the night terrors would come eventually, and she didn't want that. She was already plagued with nightmares, though those sleeping pills made most of them tolerable, and she wasn't sure she couldn't handle anything worse than that.

She briefly woke up at two AM to Damon climbing into bed with her, giving her a light kiss on the top of the head, and hen she rolled over and sleep took her once more. She slept soundly that night, and when her alarm went off at seven, she felt fully rested for the first time in a long time. She hummed a song as she showered and dressed. She couldn't deny it. When she was around Damon, it was like she was a completely different person. He made her okay with herself. Every little insecure thing she felt was gone whenever he was around. She felt confident, beautiful, sexy. It was all Damon. He did this for her, and she loved him for it.

She stopped in her tracks. Wait, what? She loved him for it? She shook her head; no, she couldn't love Damon Salvatore yet. They hadn't been together for very long, and they needed to spend more time together before Caroline could even start to think about love. Definitely much, much more time.


	20. Chapter 20

Caroline was almost through the second dress of the day when she heard the bell above her front door ring. She went out into the front room and a huge smile came across her face.

"Care Bear!" April almost shouted. "Damn, girl, it's been forever."

Caroline hopped across the counter and hugged her friend. She looked April over. She smiled, "I can't believe that you are still calling me that. But anyway, it's good to see you without the black and blue, April. I'm ecstatic that you finally left Dylan and his abusive ways."

April nodded, "Yeah. I couldn't take it anymore - you know, a lot like when you left dickhead." Caroline didn't have to guess; she knew exactly who April was talking about. She never used his first name, except around polite company.

Caroline sighed, "Have you been to my house yet?"

April shook her head, "No. My bags are in the car."

Caroline nodded, "Why don't you come back with me? You can see what I'm working on and we can catch up."

Twenty minutes later, April was sitting on a stool at a table, adding lace to a dress, as Caroline told her that was happening. April laughed, "Seriously? Damon? As in Damon I'm-God's-fucking-gift-to-women Salvatore?"

Caroline shrugged, "He's good to me, April. He treats me with respect, and he makes me okay with myself. It's like...it's like, when I'm with him, nothing else matters. My insecurities melt away, like they never existed at all. I forget all about my past, and I find myself wanting to spend more time with him. He's amazing."

"Sounds like someone's in love," April joked, and Caroline smiled. She wasn't going to tell April about her thoughts that morning - in fact, she wasn't going to tell anybody. Esther would figure it out sooner or later, but until then, it was like her own little secret.

"I don't know about that," Caroline said, finishing up the dress she was working on. She sighed, checking the time on the clock behind her, "Do you want to grab a bite to eat? It's almost two and I haven't eaten yet today."

"Is it because your cooking skills haven't improved since college?" April teased.

"Oh, bite me, Young," Caroline said.

"So, what places are good around here?"

"Well, there's Hunan, down the road, and they have excellent Chinese food. Then there's Maria's, and she's got amazing Italian food. And we could always go -"

"Do you have any place that's got good American food? You know, like a cheeseburger and fries?"

"Sure. Rudy's. It's not too far from here."

As they got into Caroline's car, April looked at her, "Didn't you tell me that your brother works with you? Where is he?"

Caroline shrugged, "I don't know. He texted me and said that he wanted to help Finn - my oldest brother - with something. He wouldn't say what's going on."

"And where's Damon?"

"At home. He was sleeping when I left, but that's because he's on what he calls bartender's hours. Sleep until at least one in the afternoon, don't go to bed until after three AM."

"So am I going to meet your family while I'm here?"

"Definitely," Caroline said as she parked in the restaurant driveway. They went in and got a table. "In fact, Mother's having a going away party for my brother Elijah and his wife, Rose, on Saturday. She said you could come if you wanted. Just watch out for Rebekah."

"Your sister?"

The waiter came and took their orders, and as he walked away, Caroline said, "Don't ever say that to her face. She'd probably try to claw your eyes out or something vicious like that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not her sister. Mother was never able to adopt me, and I'm technically an orphan. Blood is everything, you know."

"She told you that?"

"She hasn't stopped telling me that since I was fourteen years old."

April rolled her eyes and took a sip of her water, "That's stupid. What the hell is her problem, anyway? Do you really need a piece of paper to tell you that you belong with them - something that they clearly already know? It's just a fucking piece of paper."

This was something that Caroline loved about April. You always knew where you stood with her. April had no filter; she always said what she was thinking, regardless of whether it was hurtful or not. She spoke without thinking a lot of the time, but apologized later for things she didn't exactly mean. But, in a way, she was just like Caroline. She didn't bullshit around and what you saw was what you got.

"You acted funny when I mentioned dickhead, so I'm guessing something happened," April said after a moment of silence.

"He was here last week," Caroline answered. "I ran into him at Maria's, which is a restaurant I go to often. He threatened me."

April rolled her eyes as the waiter brought their food, "I hope Damon did something to him."

Caroline went into an explanation of what happened that day. She told April everything; running into Tyler, Damon threatening Tyler, even her fight with Damon afterwards. By the time she finished her story, April was sitting there with wide eyes.

"Oh my God, Care, I can't believe it. I knew he was a douche, but still...ugh," April said. "I hope you're taking good care of yourself."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah. I mean, I've got a state of the art security system, a dog - April, you're gonna love her," Caroline said, remembering April's love for dogs. "Besides, Nik is a Marine."

"Really?"

Caroline nodded, "And, trust me, you don't want to piss him off. He's got a bit of a temper."

The girls enjoyed their lunch and then went back to the dress shop. As they worked, Caroline suddenly looked at April, "I'm really glad that you got the courage to leave, April. It's not much of a life living with someone who beats you, and I know that from experience."

"The things is, though, Care..." April paused for a moment. "I never saw any bruises on you."

Caroline shrugged, "Tyler knew how to hurt me without leaving marks. Besides that, I didn't want anybody to see how hurt I was - how broken I was. I wanted to pretend that stuff wasn't going on. I took all I could before leaving him."

"That's the difference between the two of us, then," April said. "Everybody knew what was going on between me and Dylan. I know my dad was almost ecstatic when I told him that I left."

"You didn't try to cover up what he did to you?"

"I did," April said, setting her needle down, "but makeup only goes so far. To a trained eye, you can see right through the makeup. You've always had a good eye for detail, so you always caught it."

Caroline paused for a moment and then said, "You know, what Dylan did to you...you've got to let that go. Sometimes bad thing just happen to good people, and there's nothing that can be done about it."

-x-

The next day was Elijah's party at Esther's house, and Caroline was mostly dreading going. She would miss Elijah and Rose when they went back to DC, but it wasn't like it was that far. But Elijah happened to be one of Caroline's favorite people in the entire world and she would definitely miss him. However, she was not looking forward to seeing Rebekah.

"It's going to be fine, Caroline," Klaus said to her that morning as she paced in the living room. "Rebekah's been pretty low key lately. I almost wonder if something's wrong with her."

Caroline just rolled her eyes.

When they got to Esther's that afternoon, Caroline went into the kitchen, and that's where she saw Rebekah. She walked up to her - something was wrong, and she grabbed her face and turned it, looking at it.

"Hey, can you at least respect my personal space, Forbes?" Rebekah bit out, but Caroline wasn't paying attention to that.

"Where'd you get that bruise?" Caroline asked. Rebekah froze and her eyes widened.

"You can see it? Damn it," Rebekah grumbled, getting her compact out. She gives herself a once over, "How can you see it? Even I can't."

"I know what to look for," Caroline answered calmly. "Was it your new boyfriend? Kyle something-or-other?"

Rebekah shook her head, "It's nothing. I just made him mad. He's a little possessive."

"That doesn't make it alright."

"Just, please don't tell anyone. Okay? Not Mother, and definitely not Nik or Elijah. They'd never understand."

"I don't think _I_ understand, Rebekah," Caroline said honestly.

"I love him," Rebekah said simply. 

"Rebekah, he's going to hurt you. And I'm not talking about bruises. You're going to get your heart trampled, and more importantly, you could be killed. He could lose control and kill you. Is that something you want?"

She shook her head, "I love him. He loves me."

Caroline sighed; this was definitely a losing battle. Finally, she said, "Look, Rebekah, nothing's changed between the two of us, okay? Just...if you ever need anything, no matter what time it is, don't hesitate to call me, okay? And your makeup's smeared. Let me help you." Caroline helped her cover up the remaining of the bruise. She was just finishing up when Esther came in. Caroline handed the foundation pad back to Rebekah.

"Is everything okay in here?" Esther asked them.

"My makeup was uneven," Rebekah said, putting the compact back in her purse. "Caroline was just helping me."

Esther cocked an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Finally, she said, "Let's get dinner on the table, okay? Elijah and Rose want to start back for DC at a reasonable hour."

During dinner, Caroline noticed the looks she was getting from Esther and Elijah. Caroline figured that Elijah already knew that Rebekah was being hurt - after all, he was good at his job and he'd taken down more abusers than anything. But he said nothing, and Caroline was relieved. The only thing was, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to keep Rebekah's secret. But she promised, and she'd try to honor that, and wasn't planning on telling anyone - not even Damon.


	21. Chapter 21

"Did anybody notice that something was definitely wrong with Rebekah tonight?" Klaus asked as they walked through the front door later that night. "I mean, she was totally off. And don't get me wrong, Caroline, but since when are the two of you so friendly with one another?"

Caroline sighed, tugging off her coat. It was only September, so it wasn't too cold yet, but she wore a jacket that night anyway. She figured that if she hadn't worn one, she would've gotten cold, and like Esther was always telling her, Caroline liked to be prepared.

"It's nothing big, Nik," Caroline said, hanging her jacket in the living room closet. "Maybe my relationship with Rebekah is changing. It'd be nice, you know. I hate this anti thing that Rebekah and I have had going for all these years. I want to get along with her. Whether or not she accepts it, she is my sister and I'm going to treat her that way."

"What happened to 'I hate her guts, Nik, I wish she was dead'?" Klaus said in an imitation of Caroline's voice. Damon snickered.

"First of all that's a piss poor imitation of me, Nik," Caroline said. "I do not sound like that. And second, I said that when I was sixteen. Every teenager I've ever met is melodramatic."

"It's true," Damon said, jumping into the conversation. "You should have seen Stefan when he was that age."

"You're not that much older than him," Caroline reminded Damon. "You're what...three years older?"

"Almost four, but that's not the issue here. We were talking about teenagers. At that moment in time, I was not one."

"Anyway," Caroline said, changing the subject. "I hate this animosity bullshit that is between myself and Rebekah. It's there because she's always treated me badly and I really hate that. Maybe things are turning around - hopefully."

Caroline knew that that probably wasn't how things were going to go between herself and Rebekah. She knew that, after everything was over, Rebekah was going to go back to hating her, and Caroline was going to respond the way she always had. The whole hateful thing that they had going on wasn't something that Caroline embraced - in fact, it was something that Caroline hated. She wanted something better with Rebekah, but after eight years Caroline wasn't going to hold her breath.

"I don't know, Caroline. It's just really suspicious," Klaus said, sighing before coming over and kissing Caroline on the cheek. "I'm going to bed."

"It's only ten thirty," April said, speaking up for the first time, but Klaus just ignored her. Caroline looked over at her friend, "I told you, he's a Marine. He's up at the ass crack of dawn every morning so he doesn't stay up half the night like other people do."

"Hey," April said, plopping down on the couch, "I don't need as much sleep as normal people do. I only need, like, four hours and I'm good."

Caroline, Damon and April stayed up for another hour, having a few drinks of the special rum that Caroline kept in the freezer for special occasions and chatting. April talked about how much she missed Chicago, even though she was glad she left.

"In a crazy way," April said, taking a swig of her drink, "I miss it there. It was always so busy, so full of life. I loved that big city feeling I got there. But I knew that I had to leave. Dylan was...it was just bad. I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I'd probably end up dead. Or worse, like in the hospital like you were, Care Bear. I'm still surprised that your brother Elijah didn't kill him for that."

Damon looked at Caroline, concerned, "What is she talking about?"

Caroline shot a look at April before sighing and saying to Damon, "Tyler put me in the hospital once. Really, it was no big deal."

"No big deal?!" April exclaimed. "Yeah, sure, it was no big deal. You were just in a coma for, like, three weeks."

"It was more like two and I'm fine alright? I just...I pissed Tyler off and he got physical. It was the last time he had ever done it, too. I left not long after." She finished her drink in one swallow, looking at April, "Thanks for bringing it up, too. Not that I didn't want my dirty laundry aired out all over the place or anything." With that, she went upstairs.

_When Caroline woke up, she was surrounded by a white so bright it hurt her eyes. She blinked a couple of times and she felt pain. Her head hurt. In fact, her entire body hurt, and her throat felt like it was on fire. It hurt when she swallowed, and she didn't even want to think about how it would hurt when she talked. One of her eyes was swollen shut and she couldn't see a damn thing out of it. Her eyes - well, eye, really, - darted around the room to try to figure out where the actual hell she really was, and after a moment, she realized - she was in a hospital room. Elijah was in a chair next to the bed, leaning back and he was asleep._

_She cleared her throat, trying to figure out if she could even speak, but the noise was enough to wake Elijah. He had always been a light sleeper, after all, and he blinked a couple of times to get the sleep out of his eyes before saying, "Care. You're awake. How're you feeling?"_

_"Throat hurts," she got out, and Elijah nodded._

_"I figured as much. They had a tube down your throat because you stopped breathing. I bet it hurts like hell. Here," he said, offering her a Styrofoam cup full of water. "Take a drink. It should help." He reached over, pressing the call button for the nurse, and said, "You've been asleep for two and a half weeks. I was starting to think that you weren't going to wake up at all. The doctor said it was a chance."_

_"What happened?"_

_"Right now, Tyler Lockwood is in the county jail, but he'll probably be making bail within the hour. His mother is, after all, the mayor of Mystic Falls. She isn't going to let him rot there, as much as he deserves it. He beat you pretty good, Care. Do you remember anything?"_

_Right away, Caroline got irrationally angry, "I'm not one of your clients, Elijah. I'm not a fucking victim, okay?" She sighed before adding, "Okay, sure, I am an abuse victim, but it's not like that. Don't treat me like a client; I'm your fucking sister."_

_"I get it, Care, and I'm sorry," Elijah apologized almost immediately. "It's just that I've been doing my job for a long time. Okay. Let's start over. What's the last thing you can remember?"_

_Caroline sighed, "Uh...I was arguing with Tyler. I'm not sure what happened, but I remember one minute we were arguing and the next he took a punch, and...oh crap," she said, her eyes going wide. "He put me here, didn't he?"_

_Elijah nodded, "Yeah, he did. You're pretty banged up. A couple broken ribs, a broken collarbone, a broken wrist, a broken ankle, several bruises - you look really bad. He tried to strangle you, too, which is partly why your throat hurts so much. I mean, the tube helped with the pain, but he really did a number on you. You're going to have several bruises, including those finger shaped ones on your throat. You're going to be okay though. You're a survivor, Care."_

_Caroline was silent for a moment, digesting every detail that Elijah had just given her before a thought hit her. "Hey, Elijah, Mother didn't come here, did she? I don't want her to see me like this."_

_"I persuaded her to stay in Richmond," Elijah said. "Actually, the hospital called Elena, who was your emergency contact in the paperwork, and Elena didn't want to tell Mother - not right away. She was afraid of giving her a heart attack. I called Mother on my way up here and asked her to stay in Virginia until I called her again. She knows that you were hurt pretty badly, so I want you to call her the first chance you feel up to it, okay?"_

_Tears started to fill Caroline's eyes, "Okay."_

_"Care," Elijah said gently, "Why didn't you tell anyone? Why didn't you tell me, or Mother? You know that Niklaus would have put in for leave if he knew that this happened. You're an excellent actress - nobody even expected this."_

_Caroline sighed, "I thought I could handle it. I mean, sure, when it started, I was embarrassed. After everything I've been through, I let someone hurt me. After everything that bastard Mike Jones put me through, I walked into another abusive relationship. I didn't want anybody to know. And then, I was so far in that I couldn't get out. Tyler's gonna kill me, you know that, right?" Tears were overflowing in her eyes, and started to fall down her cheeks. "I'm not saying that to be melodramatic, either. I mean he's literally going to kill me. Nobody ever leaves a Lockwood."_

_That was something that Tyler had told her several times. "Nobody's ever left a Lockwood," he had told her, "and it isn't going to start now. It's either me or nothing else."_

_"You're going to leave, Care," Elijah said, "because after you get out of the hospital, I'm taking you over to the apartment myself and we're going to collect your things. You're going to come back to Richmond with me, and Mother already said that you could stay in her guest room."_

_"I can't do that," Caroline said. Elijah looked at her sympathetically._

_"You need to, Care. I'm not going to force you to do so, though. You are, after all, an adult and I can't tell you what to do anymore. But think about it, Caroline he almost killed you this time. What's going to happen the next time you piss him off? Your neighbor might not be a girl that Tyler Lockwood had beaten and left for dead, so she wouldn't have the mind to call the cops like she did this time."_

_"Who was that?" Caroline asked._

_"Um, her name is Amy something. She heard the yelling from your apartment and she called the police. They got there and you were passed out, Tyler's hands around your throat. They got him off in time, but your brain was deprived oxygen for three minutes and they thought irreparable damage might have happened. You've been in a coma for two and a half weeks and the doctor was starting to worry that some kind of damage actually happened. But you're okay." He got up, coming over and hugging Caroline gently. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, "God, Care, we were all so worried. NIklaus doesn't know about this yet, but you know he's going to want to know."_

_"I know. But Elijah," Caroline said, wiping her eyes, "he's gonna be so disappointed in me."_

_"Oh, Care," Elijah said, taking her hands in his, "We're not disappointed in you. You didn't deserve this, and please, you need to press charges. You need to do it so he can't do this to anyone else."_

_"I'm not going to press charges, Elijah," Caroline sighed. "There's no way in hell I'm going to chance this. No one ever leaves a Lockwood, and no one definitely ever prosecutes one."_

_"The Lockwoods aren't any better than you or me, Care," Elijah said._

_"Maybe not, but they have friends in high places. I'm just the lowly foster kid that nobody ever loved enough to adopt. Nobody's ever gonna take my word over his."_

_Elijah sighed, and Caroline started to worry. She knew that sigh. She had pissed him off. Elijah was always cool and collected, and he always had a level head. He never shouted when he got angry - his anger was calm and even. And that's what Caroline hated._

_"Mother loves you. We love you, Caroline. You are part of our family, even though that bitch of a case worker you had never let us adopt you. Case workers get paid by the amount of kids they place, you know. No kid is unadoptable, I promise you that. You are wanted. We want you."_

_Tears were pouring down her cheeks now, and Caroline hiccupped as she started to wipe away her tears unsuccessfully. Starting to sob uncontrollably, Elijah came over, sitting down on the hospital bed beside her, and put his arms around her. She leaned into his embrace, sobbing on his shirt. Elijah always wore a suit, so while Caroline was a little upset about getting snot and tears all over his shirt that was dry clean only, she loved the feeling she got from her family. Elijah had been right - whether she was a Forbes or a Mikaelson, she was wanted. That was all that she could ask for._

Healing after that attack from Tyler went slowly. It was extremely slow, if she was being honest. She was in the hospital for a week after she woke up from that coma, but it felt like an eternity. She was in tremendous pain a lot of the time, but the emotional pain was what hurt the most. And true to her word, Caroline didn't press charges against Tyler. She wasn't going to - everyone knew that you didn't fuck with a Lockwood.

After changing into a pair of cheer shorts and a tank top, Caroline lay on her bed, just thinking things through. She was damaged - and she knew it. And here she was, with Damon...a guy who made her feel like herself. He made her feel whole. He made her feel beautiful. Damon made her feel like she was wanted, and he made her feel like she belonged. She was falling in love with him, and she couldn't have that. He was getting to know her too well, and she was going to have to break it off. There was no way around it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to add here, I don't think like other people do. I'm a very tactile person and so casual touches to other people doesn't equal flirting or seem abnormal to me. I also don't have any siblings, to I'm hoping that I am writing the sibling-y contact right. If it reads a little weird, I'm sorry.


	22. Chapter 22

Damon watched her very closely the next day, "Caroline, what exactly are you saying?" He felt like she just slapped him in the face. Break up? Really? Could she be serious?

She practically had tears rolling down her cheeks, "I'm annoying. I don't take anything with blind faith. People have to prove to me that they aren't out to hurt me before I'll trust them. I don't believe in soul mates. I think everybody has a hidden agenda. When I believe in something, I believe too strongly. I'm headstrong. I'm stubborn. I have to win at every argument I've ever had. I don't know how to let people have the last word."

"Caroline, why are you saying all of this?"

"I'm showing you that I'm a bad girlfriend. I'm showing that you should run away, before things get too intense between us. I'm - I need you to run away." She was practically whispering now, her cheeks most with tears.

"What are you so afraid of?" Damon asked, coming closer.

"Everything! I'm afraid of everything."

"You named some of your traits. Let me name some, too. You're caring. You're independent. You don't let anybody boss you around. You do what you think is right, even if it's wrong at the time. You're not too proud to apologize for things that you've done that were wrong. You take responsibility for every one of our actions, even when you don't need to." He came closer, cupping her cheek. "You live by your own standards, not anybody else's. You will go head to head with somebody if they challenge what you believe. You would never think to hurt anybody. You're kind. You make me a better person."

Caroline reached up and pushed his hand away, "Really, Damon, I need you to walk away."

"Why is that, exactly?"

"Because I'm not worth it. I never have been, and probably never will be." She had tears in her eyes, "Please, Damon, just...just go."

"Because I love you, Caroline," Damon said, his voice breaking just like his heart, "I will do what you ask. But I'm not giving up without a fight." And with that, he turned and walked out, just like she asked.

-x-

It had been almost three weeks since had had talked to her. He kept calling her, but she wouldn't answer his calls. Elena told him to leave her alone, she'd come around eventually. Give her time, she had said. Caroline doesn't listen to anyone and she does things her own way, in her own time.

During those three weeks, he had barely gotten out of bed, and when he did get out of bed, it was just to drink. He had brought up a bottle of bourbon to his bedroom, and never left it. He hadn't showered in days, and didn't want to see anyone. The most he talked to anyone was when Matt called, and the was just because of the Grill. Damon hadn't left the house in days; he just didn't want to go anywhere.

That morning, Damon was ready to just pull the blankets over his head when Elena came storming in. She didn't even bother to knock. She just yanked open his curtains and that was when he _did_ pull the blankets over his head.

"What the hell, Damon?" Elena was angry. Damon uncovered his head to look at her.

"You haven't been out of this room in days. You need to go on, live life. Just because you had one fight with her -"

"She doesn't want me anymore, Elena. She doesn't want anything to do with me."

"Goddamn it, Damon, just listen to yourself! It's not you that she has a problem with!" Elena took a deep breath. "She has a problem with herself. She always has, and she probably always will. Those people in the system, they poisoned her mind. They _made_ her think that she's not worth anything. Think about it. They wanted her to feel worthless, to feel like nobody loved her. They wanted her to roll over and die, but she didn't. She survived." Elena took another breath, "Damon, she thinks you deserve better than her," Elena explained as calmly as she could.

"She's what I want -" Damon started, but Elena held up her hand.

"I already know all of that. But it's Caroline. She's been brainwashed. She really believes what she says about herself - people fed it to her all her life, so it's what she believes. So, you need to get up, out of bed, and go see her. Well, after you shower, of course, 'cause you're pretty disgusting."

Damon smiled weakly, "What happened to giving her space?"

"It's been almost three weeks. Somebody's got to intervene."

-x-

Caroline was pretty sure that Damon was going to be the death of her. He had looked so hurt when she asked him to leave, but she needed him to walk away. She wanted to spare him hurt feelings when things got too intense. Sighing, she stood in the back room of her store, taking inventory on her materials. She just couldn't believe what she was feeling - it was like her mind was betraying her. She took a chance, but it was inevitable. People break up. They get married, thinking they'll live happily ever after, and then something happens. It could be just like Esther Mikaelson - she was madly in love with her husband, but he didn't feel the same way, so he left. He left her, heartbroken, to take care of five children, by herself. Caroline refused to be that.

She heard the bell above the front door ring, and it catapulted her from her thoughts. She went out in the front room and saw Klaus.

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh, the last time I checked, I worked for you," Klaus said, with a nervous laugh. "What's wrong with you?"

Caroline nodded silently. She didn't want to talk about it right now.

"You're avoiding, Caroline. What is going on inside your head?"

Caroline looked up at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. She wiped her face with the back of her hand, "Nothing. Not anymore."

"I heard you had a fight with Damon," Klaus said casually. Caroline's head snapped up.

"How - where did you hear that?" she asked quietly.

"Oh, just around," Klaus said, trying to be vague.

"Look, Nik, I don't want to talk about it right now," Caroline said, sighing. "I'm - I mean, I've got to go back and do inventory."

Caroline started towards the back room, but Klaus followed her. She could feel him behind her, so she spun around on her heels, "Stop following me, Nik. I don't want to see anyone right now."

"Caroline, you're being stubborn. Will you just please sit down and talk to me?"

Caroline sighed deeply before saying, "Look, Nik, I appreciate that you're my brother and everything, but I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Damon called me," Klaus said suddenly. Caroline almost went pale.

"He told me that you pushed him out. That you told him to run away. He told me that he wants to be with you, but ever since your little disagreement, you won't answer his calls and you're never home. Where exactly _have_ you been staying?"

"I spend time here, and I've been playing roommate with Kol," Caroline answered hesitantly.

"Kol?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah. Kol doesn't ask questions like what's wrong with my life. He just lets me be."

"And you've been staying in his one bedroom apartment?"

"He has a very comfortable couch," Caroline said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

"Look, Damon wants to be with you, Caroline. I know that you want to be with him, too."

Caroline was close to crying now, "I think I'm in love with him, Nik," she barely whispered, but Klaus heard her. His eyes widened.

"Then why are you pushing him away?"

"Because love doesn't last. I don't want to get hurt, and I don't want to hurt him. I don't know anybody whose love has lasted."

"What about your friend Elena? She's been with Stefan for years, right?"

Caroline just shrugged.

"I know what you're doing," Klaus said, following Caroline, even though she didn't want him to. "You're avoiding. You think that if you stay in your safe little corner that nobody can hurt you. Trust me when I say this, Caroline - the wolves, they will find you, no matter where you are. You can sit still, but they'll still find you."

"What are you trying to tell me?"

"I'm telling you that no matter where you are and no matter who you are with, bad things will find you. It's just what happens. Shit happens, and you can't avoid it, no matter what you do. So, hiding away and pushing Damon away isn't going to stop bad things from happening. It's just going to break your heart." And he walked out without another word.

-x-

Klaus was at The Grill. He went there to find Damon, because he had stopped at the boarding house, but Elena said she had sent Damon to work. He was driving her crazy. Klaus walked into the Grill and saw Damon, sitting at the bar.

Klaus took a seat beside Damon. Damon looked over, "You're not going to beat the shit out of me, are you?"

"Damon, I didn't like you when I first met you, but I admit now that I was biased. I was basing you on a reputation, and I didn't take the time to get to know you. My mother told me when you first came to dinner that night, 'Niklaus, it's just a reputation.'" Klaus sighed, motioning to Kol to get him a beer, "Now I've come to realize that you are the best man for Caroline. You took the time to get to know her, and you didn't push her into anything."

Damon shrugged, "She broke it off anyway."

Klaus shook his head, "Damon, I know Caroline. I know her better than anything else, and sometimes I think I know her better than she knows herself. She doesn't want to break up with you."

"But she did."

"Listen to me. Caroline needs her space, but more importantly, she's scared. In fact, Caroline is fucking terrified."

"Of me?"

"Did Caroline ever tell you that I saved her life?" Klaus asked, and when Damon shook his head, Klaus continued, "Let me tell you a story. I had just gotten back from war, from a tour year tour in Iraq, when I first met Caroline. I was wounded, and could barely walk, but one day, I happened to notice Caroline lying on the bathroom floor, her wrists cut and she was practically bleeding to death." Damon watched Klaus closely as he continued, "She was fifteen years old, Damon. She had everything in this world to live for. I've seen people die, and I've saved a couple of people's lives. That's what it's like in war. I saved her life that day, and when I went to visit her in the hospital, do you know what she told me?"

Damon shook his head.

"She said, 'You shouldn't have saved me. I should have died.'" Klaus took a drink of his beer before sighing once more. "Now, most people would say thank you, but she was convinced that she was tainted, that she was dirty. She was fifteen years old, Damon. She was fifteen, and she felt like she had nothing to live for. Part of me wondered why a fifteen year old girl would feel so hopeless, so I started to look into her past. That stuff is usually sealed, but my brother Elijah is a private investigator, and he's really good at his job. He told me what I wanted to know. Even by fifteen years old, she had had a hard life. Everybody abandoned her. Everybody used her up and spit her out. She had nobody she could trust- except for Elena. That girl is a godsend and I love her to death without even knowing her that well. The rest of my family, the rest of the Mikaelsons, they know Elena well. Hell, my mother has Elena on speed dial. She's had her over to dinner several times. Elena even has my brothers' numbers and if anything happens with Caroline, she lets us know. She likes our family, and we just adore her. She's been so good to Caroline. It was then that I decided I was going to be Caroline's big brother. I wanted Caroline to know that no matter what, I was going to be there for her when she needed me."

"What about your sister?"

Klaus sighed, "Rebekah is a totally different story. She and Caroline hate each other; they always have. Rebekah didn't like that my family took a liking to Caroline, and Caroline hates Rebekah on principle. Rebekah hates that my brothers feel that Caroline is our little sister. She's said more than once that Caroline is dirty, and I'm pretty sure that, when Caroline tried to kill herself that day, Rebekah was somewhat behind it." Klaus sighed, signaling to Kol for another beer, "Rebekah was a mean girl in high school." Klaus laughed, "Caroline's the only reason I know that term, by the way. When I started protecting Caroline, I learned more teenage girl terms than I care to know. Anyway, Rebekah was furious that we let Caroline in, and she was even more furious when we took Caroline back after she tried to kill herself. We've had words over the years, but our family - my four brothers and my mother - we protect Caroline vehemently. She's very important to us."

"Why?"

"She's special, Damon. Can't you see that?"

Damon nodded, "Yes, I can. She's something extremely special."

"She's a fighter. She always has been, and the men in her life - aside from you - have always taken advantage of that. She needed a good man in her life to show her that not all men are scum of the earth. Mother was thrilled to death when you two started dating, and she still holds out hope that you're going to get back together. But here's my advice to you - don't push her. You can be persistent, send her flowers, flatter her, whatever, but don't push her."

"If she doesn't want me -" Damon started, but stopped when he noticed Klaus shaking his head.

"She does want you, Damon. It's hard to see at first, but she pushes the most when it's someone she cares about. You have no idea what she put my family through when she first came to us. She ran away, snuck out, skipped curfew, got involved with the wrong people and dated the boys that would piss us off the most. But we never stopped loving her, and we never sent her away. Finally, she realized that we weren't going anywhere, and she started to ease up."

"You're telling me to be persistent."

Klaus nodded, "Very good. Show Caroline that you aren't going anywhere, no matter what happens." Klaus paused for a moment before adding, "Just don't turn into a stalker, or else I'm gonna have to do something about that."

Damon nodded, "Sure. Thanks for the advice, Klaus."

"I want what's best for Caroline. I've always wanted the best for Caroline. And you _are_ the best thing for her. Please help her remember that."


	23. Chapter 23

When the flowers showed up at her shop the next day, Caroline wasn't sure what to say. They were pastel colored tulips - just like she had told Damon she liked. Tipping the delivery guy, she picked up the vase they were in and sniffed them. Caroline absolutely adored fresh flowers, and wished she could have them all the time. Noticing the card for the first time, she picked it up and looked at it. What she saw surprised her.

 _I said I'm not giving up that easily_ , it read, _so I hope you enjoy the flowers. I remembered that you told me you liked tulips and these were the prettiest ones I could find._

_-Damon_

They _were_ quite lovely. They were pastel green, yellow, pink and purple, and Caroline sighed before setting them down on the front counter. If she knew what was best for her, she'd toss them, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Damon probably spent quite a bit of money on these - it was almost the middle of October now and those were springtime flowers. Caroline briefly wondered what Damon had to have gone through to get these to her.

Shaking the thoughts away, she reminded herself that she didn't care. She _couldn't_ care. She broke up with Damon because she wanted him to move on before the heartbreak killed him. Damon was a great guy - it was true. She really cared about him, but she knew it was either leave now, or stay until everything went south and then die of heartbreak. She couldn't go through another deep depression like she did after she and Tyler broke up. Of course, when she and Tyler had broken up, the depression wasn't because she had loved him. Her depression back then was because she felt foolish she had let him do what he did to her.

She had been so busy thinking that the ringing phone surprised her and made her jump. She didn't recognize the answer but answered it anyway, "Hello?"

"Ms. Forbes?" came a voice on the other line. "Is this Caroline Forbes?"

"Yes, this is. Who are you?" she asked. Caroline wasn't trying to be rude; she was just wondering what was going on.

"This is Andrea from Richmond General Hospital," the voice said. "You're listed as emergency contact for Rebekah Mikaelson, who says you're her sister. She's been admitted and is in pretty bad shape."

"What happened?"

"Well, I'm going to be bluntly honest with you, Ms. Forbes," the girl on the other line said as Caroline started gathering her stuff so she could leave. She was thanking God that they had called her cell phone. "She's been beaten up. She has several bruises, a few broken bones, and a concussion. How soon can you get here and is there anyone else I should call?"

Caroline thought back to her conversation with Rebekah, and even though Caroline felt like she needed to tell Elijah or Klaus, she knew she couldn't. She had promised. So, shaking her head, she said, "Nobody else to call. I'll be there in fifteen minutes at the most."

"Okay, thank you, Ms. Forbes," the girl answered, telling Caroline where to go. On her way to the hospital, Caroline started to freak out. She knew something like this was going to happen. Caroline had been involved with an abuser before, personally, so she knew it was only a limited amount of time before something really bad happened to Rebekah. Caroline was just thankful that it hadn't cost Rebekah her life.

Sure, Caroline and Rebekah didn't like each other, that much was true, but that didn't mean that Caroline didn't want anything bad happening to her. So, maybe she didn't exactly like Rebekah, but she was a decent human being and had been through things in her life that she wouldn't wish on her worst enemy.

After getting to the hospital, a doctor led her to where Rebekah was. Caroline got a good look at her and sighed, "Oh God, Rebekah, what did you do?" she asked softly.

"I didn't do anything, Caroline, that's the point," came the reply. Rebekah was lying on the hospital bed, and the woman on the phone hadn't been kidding. There were bruises everywhere, and she could tell right away that a few of Rebekah's bones had been broken.

"He broke my orbital bone, Caroline," Rebekah said, "and I'm lucky to be alive. They say that not a lot of people actually survive that."

"Rebekah, I know I've asked before, but please, _please_ let me tell Elijah. He can hunt this son of a bitch down, he can...well he can do things. He helped me a hell of a lot when Tyler put me in the hospital."

"You know that look Elijah gets in his eye when he's disappointed in you?" Rebekah asked. Caroline nodded; yes, she knew that look well.

"I can't bear to see it on Elijah's face right now. I'm a disgrace, I know that, but Elijah practically raised me and Kol after Father left, and I just...him being disappointed in me is like a parent being disappointed in a child, and I just can't...I can't take that look." Rebekah paused for a moment, looking at Caroline through her one good eye, the eye that wasn't swollen shut, and said, "Please promise me you won't bring him into this. I've never needed anyone to keep a secret like this before, but I really need you to promise me."

Caroline sighed, "Fine, Rebekah, but if things get any worse, I am going to tell someone. You shouldn't be fending off this jackass by yourself. It's an excellent way to et yourself _killed_."

After the doctor came in and gave Rebekah a run down of her injuries, he set her wrist and arm in a cast, gave her a prescription for Vicodin and released her. Caroline knew that she needed to keep Rebekah safe, so she said, "I'm going to make some calls. You can't go back to your apartment tonight. Promise me."

"And where exactly do you think I'll be safe? He can find me anywhere."

"Things are gonna get better," Caroline said, "just let me make a couple phone calls."

She knew she shouldn't. Caroline knew that they had just broken up, that she had feelings for Damon that she just couldn't handle - but she wasn't going to let this bastard hurt her sister any more than he already had. So she swiped her finger across the touch screen and dialed his number.

"Caroline?" he was confused. She figured he would've been, since she hadn't spoken a single word to him since their breakup. "Is that you?"

"Hey, Damon," Caroline said, trying to will her voice not to waver. "I know that we just broke up and everything, but I kinda need a favor."

-x-

The drive to Mystic Falls was torture. Rebekah wanted to know more about Caroline's relationship with Damon, wanted to know more about why Caroline broke up with him. After an hour of incessant questions, Caroline decided to come clean.

"You broke up with him so you couldn't hurt him?" Rebekah asked, clearly confused by everything Caroline had just told her. "You know that doesn't make any sense, right?"

"If I would've dated him any longer, the heartbreak would have consumed me," Caroline answered. "Love doesn't work out. I figured that you of all people would know that."

"Nik was right," Rebekah muttered to herself. Finally, she looked at Caroline, "Look, since you're practically obsessed with the heartbreak that is love, I'm gonna set a few things straight real quick. I was eight years old when Father left. He was the fucking world to me. But he just kinda disappeared overnight, and nobody would tell me and Kol what happened to him. Kol was ten then, and the only person who even took our feelings into account had been Nik. He explained to us that Father just wasn't meant to be a father. How he let the pressures of being a husband and father break him. He had stayed with Mother longer than he wanted to, because we were his kids, too, but finally the pressure just kind of got a hold of him. What you need to know, Caroline, is that love does happen, and it's wonderful and stupendous and any other adjective you can think to describe it. What your friend Elena has with her boyfriend - it's possible. It happens a lot, to be honest, and it's right. You hear about guys leaving their girlfriends, wives, whatever, all the time, but the success stories, they aren't broadcast like the others. You need to understand that love happens, and it's wonderful when it happens, and I think everybody wants to feel loved. They want to feel wanted. And I honestly think that you can have that with Damon. He loves you."

"I don't know," Caroline said.

"I do. I noticed the way the two of you interacted. Just because I was rude to you didn't mean that I wasn't paying attention. Hell, I did pay attention, and the way that he even fucking looks at you, it's...well, he cares about you dearly. The two of you need to sit down and talk. And Caroline, I mean actually talk. You have this wonderful talent of saying something without saying anything. I understand it's the foster care syndrome or whatever you want to call it, but not a lot of people understand that. You have to let people in."

"Okay," she said, somewhat taken aback. "Who are you and where is the real Rebekah?"

"Look, I was out of commission a couple of days. It gave me time to think. And I want you to know that you deserve nice things. I'm sorry I was such a bitch to you over the years. I get that wasn't cool. And you sticking your neck out for me right now, helping me out like this, you shouldn't be doing it because of how nasty to you I was. But you don't care about that. You care about people, and you have a lot of compassion, and I appreciate that. Besides, Nik's told me a few things, but I can kinda see things for how they are. I'm not exactly unobservant. I was always just jealous."

"Jealous? Of me?" Caroline couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"Yeah, jealous of you," Rebekah repeated. "My family loves you. You're more special than I am, Caroline. Mother, Nik - all of them, really - they chose you. They chose to be your family. They just got stuck with me."

"Oh, Rebekah," Caroline said. "They love you. I think it just hurt Mother how much you and I hated each other."

"Did you really hate me, Caroline?" Rebekah asked.

"This is going to sound stupid when I say it out loud," Caroline said, and Rebekah laughed nervously. "I didn't hate you. I wanted to hate you. But the only reason I wanted to hate you was because you hated me first. God, that sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?"

"Not at all," Rebekah answered. "Maybe we can start over? As friends?"

Caroline nodded, "I'd like that, and I'm sure Mother's gonna be thrilled."

When they got to the boarding house, Damon was sitting on the front step. Caroline took a deep breath, praying for some kind of courage, and then went up to him.

"Hey, Damon," she said softly. He looked terrible. He looked like he hadn't eaten or slept in day. This is not what she had wanted.

"Hey, Care," he said. The nickname took her by surprise - he'd never called her that before. But she didn't want to question anything right now.

"This is Rebekah," Caroline said, putting an arm around Rebekah's shoulders. "I don't know if the two of you have been properly introduced or not. Is, uh, is Elena here?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah. She's writing right now, but won't mind if you bug her for this."

Caroline smiled weakly, "Thanks, Damon."

Explaining things would be easier to Elena. Elena would get it. Caroline went into the den, where Elena kept her computer, and she cleared her throat, "Hey, 'Lena."

"Care?" Elena asked, turning around to look at her. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Didn't Damon tell you about my call to him three days ago?"

Oh great. Elena was pissed, and Caroline could tell by the look on her face that this was _not_ going to be pretty. Elena looked at her friend and said, "Look, Care, you're practically my sister and I love you. I really do. I love you to pieces, but the way you kinda broke Damon's heart and then reached out to him for a favor? That's so not cool."

Caroline took a deep breath. She could feel the tightness in her chest that told her she was going to start crying any minute now. She was trying to hold it off, at least until after she'd left. She looked down at the floor, "I'm sorry, 'Lena, but I was trying to save him from heartbreak."

"Just him?"

"Elena, you understand the hell I've been through more than anybody, because you've been there for me through almost all of it. You know what I've been through and what's happened to me. So do you even understand just a little why I did what I did?"

"You think you you don't deserve Damon, Care, and it's fucking bullshit!" Elena exclaimed, and it took Caroline by surprise. Elena hardly ever swore, so when she did, you know she was angry. "You are letting what all those assholes in foster care told you get to you. You survived. You did it - you fucking _won_. It seems like that would make you happy. Knowing that the odds were against you and you beat them anyway. But instead, you are hiding out and hurting people _before_ they can hurt you. That doesn't make any sense to me. Think about it - you fucking _hate_ stereotypes. You hate it when people judge you. But what are you doing? You are doing it to _yourself_ and I can't just sit by and watch you destroy things like that." It was too much, and Caroline felt the tears start to slide down her cheeks. "Damon loves you, Caroline. He fucking loves you and he wants to be with you. Don't you understand that?"

Caroline wiped her tears away with the back of her hand before answering, "Yeah, Elena, I get it. But he shouldn't want me. I'm...I'm nothing. Nobody wanted me, Elena. I couldn't even get fucking adopted!"

"Esther loves you. So does Finn, Elijah, Kol and Klaus, for that matter. _They_ chose you. _They_ accepted you for who you are. An even though Esther couldn't legally adopt you, she kept you, didn't she? She _is_ your mother, is she not? She treats you like you're one of her children, doesn't she?"

"Yeah, but -"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Caroline Forbes. I mean it. Just _don't_. The Mikaelsons love you. Can't you see that? They care about you and want what's best for you." Elena's voice softened a little. "I mean, I get that you feel alone. Your parents are gone, and I know how much that hurts. I deal with that every fucking day. My parents are gone, and I'm achieving things in my life that they don't get to know about. I miss them like crazy, too. But life goes on. I have Jenna, who's taken excellent care of both me and my brother, and our circle of friends should be enough. Please, I need you to understand me, here. We all love you, and it shouldn't matter that you birth parents are gone. As far as I'm concerned, Esther Mikaelson _is_ your mother and her children _are_ your siblings."

Caroline was quiet for several moments. She had just gotten her ass chewed out by Elena - and that didn't happen very often. Elena came over and threw her arms around her best friend, "Care, I love you. But I also love Damon - he's practically my big brother. He's hurting. He hasn't been eating, and he gets maybe three hours of sleep a night. He hardly ever goes out. He's probably got a hundred dollars' worth of bourbon bottles up in his room. This is killing him. And then you called him up and asked him for a favor. Of course he's gonna do it for you - whenever you ask him for help. he's gonna help in any way that he knows how. You're special to him."

Caroline sighed, "The reason I broke up with him, 'Lena, is because I love him. I'm in love with him. Love doesn't last and we're going to end up breaking up sooner or later because that's what happens. Life gets in the way."

"Do you think I'm an idiot?" Elena asked, all of the sudden. Caroline was confused. Elena sighed, "Just answer the question, Care. Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"Um...do you mean that metaphorically or literally?"

"Literally."

"No, I don't. You're one of the smartest people I know."

Elena nodded, "And I'm engaged to Stefan. He and I are planning on getting married. Are we delusional?"

Caroline stopped for a moment, trying to think things over in her own head before answering, "I think love lasts for some people. People who truly love each other enough to work hard at keeping their relationship where they want it to be."

Elena nodded, "So, tell me, Care, why can't it work out for you?"

Caroline avoiding Elena's eyes as she said, "I guess I should talk to Damon."


	24. Chapter 24

Caroline sat in a booth at the Grill, working on a hamburger, when Damon came in and sat across from her. He watched her for a good minute.

"Elena said it was important," Damon all but mumbled, and Caroline swallowed her bite and nodded.

"I needed to talk to you, Damon," Caroline said. She was really nervous about this, and she wasn't sure how to proceed, but she was going to try as hard as she possibly could. "But before we do that, how's Rebekah?"

"Good, although she seems a little obsessed with our relationship," Damon answered. "Honestly, it probably would've been better if you guys had stayed enemies."

Caroline laughed, "I know, but life's given us a second chance and I'm gonna take it." She sighed before saying, "I'm sorry. For everything. For breaking up with you. I was just trying to avoid the heartbreak I thought was imminent. I love you, Damon."

Damon just stopped. Caroline was partially afraid that he'd turn around and run out the door. "Okay, you could say something," she said, trying to make light of it, but he just watched her. Finally, she said, "Look, Damon, I love you, and I was afraid that our relationship was doomed to fail,k so I decided to call it quits. Since my time in foster care, I have had a hard time accepting that good things can happen to me."

"So, uh..." Damon started, watching Caroline closely. "What changed?"

"Both Elena and Rebekah talked some sense into me," she said. "They said we needed to talk. So here we are, talking."

Damon nodded and said, "I love you, too, Caroline, and I have for quite a while. I just didn't want to scare you off by saying it."

"Look, Damon," Caroline said, taking a drink of her soda, "I'm so sorry about breaking up with you. Really, I am. I realize now that I shouldn't have done that. I'd like to give us another try, but it's really okay if you don't want to. I mean, I understand if you don't want to be with me because of me breaking your heart and everything -" Caroline started, but Damon interrupted her.

"Don't write my rejection speech for me, Care," Damon said, and Caroline nodded. "We can try again. I'm okay with that. I really missed you, even though it's only been a few weeks. You mean a lot to me, you know."

Caroline grinned, "That's great Damon, thank you."

Damon smiled.

"So," he said a few minutes later, after ordering his own lunch, "what are you doing with your sister?"

Caroline looked a little confused, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," he said, biting into his burger when it came, "that I'm happy you guys made up. I know how you wanted to be closer to her, and now you've been given the chance. Seriously, I'm ecstatic about that, really. But what happens now?"

"I'm not sure," Caroline said truthfully.

"First, tell me something," Damon said. "Is this what was happening at the party at your mom's? You knew she was being abused, didn't you?"

Caroline nodded, "She made me promise I wouldn't tell anyone. I'm still dealing with that. After my life experiences, I want nothing more than to run to Elijah or Nik and let them know what the hell is going on. But I can't. I was sworn to secrecy."

"Didn't you ever learn as a kid that that only works when someone else's life is _not_ on the line?" he asked her.

"I didn't learn much about that kind of stuff as a kid, Damon," Caroline snapped. "If you remember, I was too busy taking care of myself."

Damon sighed, "I didn't mean it like that, Caroline, and I'm sorry. What I meant is that Rebekah's life is on the line. You hid her and we can only take care of her for so long before her ex comes to find her. I'm not exactly the best bodyguard."

Caroline sighed, "You're right, Damon." He grinned so she stuck out her tongue at him. "I need to tell someone. I need to tell Elijah."

"Why not Klaus?"

"Because," Caroline said, taking the last bite of her hamburger, "Even though I trust Nik and he's gotten me out of more than one jam, he has a temper. He has a really bad temper and I'd be worried about him killing that jackass. As much as I don't think he deserves to live after hurting people like he has been, I don't want Nik's life to end because of a waste of space like him." Caroline sighed, "What are you doing this weekend?"

Damon shrugged, "Nothing. Matt and Kol have pretty much taken over the Grill so I can do other things. Your brother was a godsend, by the way. He not only is really good at his job but he's also excellent with the customers and you should see the girls flirting with him. It's great for business - they buy just to talk to him."

Caroline laughed, "Yeah, I know. It's something that Kol does - I don't think he's had a steady girlfriend in forever." She sighed, "Anyway, like I was saying before you distracted me, I think I'm going to go up and spend the weekend with Elijah and Rose. You should come."

Damon nodded, "Sure."

"It's just that I don't want to break this kind of news to him over the phone. I need to talk to him in person."

"I get it," Damon said. "We'll count on going over there on Friday. It's only about an hour from your house, right?"

Caroline shrugged, "Hour, hour and a half, something like that.," she said. "We can leave there after I close the shop at four and make it in time for dinner."

"Great," Damon said. "I'll be at your house by three o'clock on Friday then."

Caroline smiled, "Thanks, Damon." She didn't want to tell him, but she was worried. She prayed to whatever deity that may be listening that Rebekah didn't totally hate her for this when everything was over.

-x-

"What's wrong?" Elijah said when he answered the phone.

"Seriously, Elijah?" Caroline said with a laugh. "Is that how you answer all your calls?"

"It is whenever my two little sisters call," Elijah answered. "So, is there something you need?"

"Yeah. Are you busy this weekend?"

"No. I just closed my last case. Why? Is there something you need?"

"I thought I'd come and see you and Rose this weekend. I'm going to bring Damon with me."

"I thought the two of you had broken up."

Caroline sighed, "We did, kinda. We're back together now. But I need to talk to you, and I'd rather do it in person."

"Does this have anything to do with Rebekah?"

"What?"

Elijah sighed, "Mother told me something's up with Rebekah. She said that the two of you are acting pretty buddy buddy so I figured if anybody knew why she was acting weird that it'd be you."

"Yeah, well it is kinda about her."

"Okay. We'll see you guys on Friday, then?" Elijah asked, and part of Caroline was surprised that he was willing to let it go. _Wow,_ she thought to herself. _I've been spending way too much freaking time with Nik._

"Yeah. We're leaving Richmond at four."

"Okay, Caroline, I'll see you then."

When Caroline got off the phone, she thought she'd take one more stab at trying to get Rebekah to tell Elijah, so he and Damon headed over to the boarding house. When they got there, Elena was in the parlor, writing, but Rebekah was nowhere to be seen.

"Is Rebekah alright?" Caroline asked, suddenly worried. "I mean, she didn't do anything drastic, did she?"

Elena shook her head, finishing typing her sentence before looking up to respond, "No. Believe it or not, she and Stefan have bonded. _Over video games_ ," Elena said, like she couldn't believe it. "I never knew your sister was into Call of Duty."

"I guess I never really thought about telling you that," Caroline answered. "I mean, there's a crapload of stuff that I really don't know about Rebekah. But seriously, Elena, she's got four brothers. Of course she's at least seen them before. She's also really into football, if you wanted to know."

"Good," Elena said. "At least Stefan's got someone else to bother with that game when I'm busy."

"Where are they?" Caroline asked. "I mean, I need to talk to Rebekah."

Elena pointed to the den, "In there. Just don't do anything to piss her off, okay? I hate dealing with Rebekah when she's pissed."

Caroline walked into the den just as Stefan and Rebekah gave each other a high five. Caroline just stood there for a moment before clearing her throat, "You're not still on the Vicodin, are you, Rebekah? 'Cause you really shouldn't be drinking alcohol on it."

Rebekah shook her head, "Nah. I haven't been on it in a couple of days."

"You still look like shit," Caroline observed. That just made Rebekah laugh.

"Thanks, Caroline," Rebekah said. Damn, she was in a good mood today. "My eye is healing nicely, isn't it? Kol took me to see a doctor he knows - Dr. Fell. I think her first name is Meredith or something like that. I don't know how he knows her, but she gave me the once over and told me that everything is healing like it's supposed to." She lifted her wrist, where there was a bright purple cast visible, "This can even come off in a few weeks. Which, believe me, is probably some of the best news I've heard in a long time."

Caroline took a deep breath - she didn't really know how Rebekah was going to react to this news, and she hoped it was going to be okay. "Look, Bekah," Caroline said, "I need to talk to you. About something important."

"So important that it could trump the game?" Stefan asked suddenly. Caroline just nodded.

"Thank God for pause buttons," Rebekah muttered, but looked at Caroline anyway. "So, what's up?"

Caroline took a deep breath, prayed to whatever deity that may be listening that Rebekah took this well. "I think we should tell Elijah."

"Tell him what, exactly?" Rebekah did _not_ look happy. Great.

"About you. About what your ex did to you. I think maybe Elijah should know."

"Why would you do that to me?" she asked.

"Because they're worried sick about you. Nik knows something's wrong. So does Elijah, Mother, and Rose. They've all asked me questions about you. And by the way, everyone is asking why you and I are friends now. They want to know what changed, and we're gonna have to explain it to them eventually. You've gotta know that."

"I can't...I've gotta hide this, Care. I can't..." Rebekah's voice trailed off. She took a deep breath as tears started falling. She looked at Caroline and wiped her tears away as she noticed her hands starting to shake. Caroline reached up and held Rebekah's hands in hers.

"Do you know how disappointed they're gonna be?" Rebekah asked in a small voice. Caroline let out a cynical laugh.

"Trust me, Bekah," Caroline said, watching Rebekah carefully, "I know _exactly_ what that feels like. I don't know if you remember when Tyler and I split up or not, but Elijah was the one to come and see me in the hospital. Y'know, _after_ Tyler put me in the hospital. When I woke up, there was Elijah. He found out about Tyler and he was worried sick. The thing is, Elijah wasn't disappointed in me, like, at all. He was angry that it had happened to me, sure, but he wasn't angry _at_ me. He understood. Bekah, Elijah is a private investigator. I mean, he's seen worse cases than this before, trust me. You need to come clean to him. He can help you."

"What, you think this'll all just go away if big brother knows?" Rebekah asked cynically. "I mean, are you high?"

Caroline sighed, "I think that if Elijah knows, he can help. Think about it, Rebekah. I'm not trying to tell you to tell Mother, or Nik, or even Finn. I'm asking you to trust the most level headed person in our family to help you out a little. He'll make up a story and say something to Mother. I mean, goddamn it, Rebekah, I was in the same fucking boat as you once. Mother _still_ doesn't know it was Tyler who put me in the hospital. She thinks it was just some random accident, a mugging. I mean, hey, that can happen in Chicago, right? But he won't tell Mother why, okay? And I feel a little weird about keeping this from them."

"Why?"

"Because you need someone to talk to. And yeah, you can talk to me, and I get it because I've fucking been there, Bekah, but you need love and support from someone else, too. Your family loves and supports you, and they're gonna do that forever, okay?"

"How do you know?"

"Because they're my family, too. They didn't say much of anything about it when they found out about Tyler. I mean, other from me spending a solid week talking Nik out of going to Chicago to kill him, he didn't say much. This abuse thing, Bekah, this is _not_ your fault. Okay? You did nothing to deserve this, and it's not your fault that it happened. Kyle was just a bastard who was controlling and took his aggressions out on you. I don't ever want to hear you blaming yourself for this, you got that?"

Rebekah nodded weakly.

"Now, if Elijah knows, he can help. He won't even go after revenge - that's not his thing, and you should know that. I mean, he's been your brother for longer than he's been mine, after all. You should know him better than that. After I left Tyler, Elijah gave me the protection I needed and he helped me out with therapy and stuff. And yeah, I saw a therapist, and I think you should too. It'd be good for you. Just don't go the route I did. You need to talk to people about your feelings, about what's going on in your head. But this is _not_ your fault, and I think that Elijah can help you out."

Sighing in defeat, Rebekah looked up at Caroline once more, "Do I have to be the one to tell him?"

"Do you want to be?" Caroline asked gently.

"I don't know," Rebekah said, sighing. "I mean, I guess I really should be, but I'm still really worried about when he finds out..." her voice trailed off.

"I'll tell you what," Caroline said. "I was going to go and visit Elijah and Rose this weekend. In fact, Damon and I are going there on Friday afternoon after I get done at the shop. Either you can and visit them with us, or I can totally do this for you. I wanna do whatever's gonna make you the most comfortable."

Biting on her bottom lip, Rebekah sighed once again and said, "You know what, sure. Will you call him up and tell him? I just...I don't wanna talk to him right now, not about anything. Do you think you can do it for me?"

Caroline nodded silently. She leaned over and pulled Rebekah into a hug. She wasn't sure if Rebekah would just let her sit there and hold her - hell, she figured that Rebekah would push her away. But she didn't. Rebekah didn't push her away and they just stayed like that on the couch for several minutes, Caroline holding Rebekah. Sighing, Rebekah said softly, "Thanks, Care. I mean it, thanks for everything you've done in the past few weeks. You've done it all to help me and I don't deserve any of it."

"God, Bekah," Caroline said, running a hand through Rebekah's hair, "You do deserve it. And I'm happy to help you - really I am. Just let me help you out."


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is the last chapter of what I've already got written. I just wanted to catch up on here to what I've got on ff.net and this is it! 
> 
> I should put a warning on here that I don't update this story as often as I should. I've been writing TVD fanfiction for about five years, I think - since season 2 aired - and I really am not that crazy for the direction that the show is taking. My main focus right now is Teen Wolf. I am not abandoning this story, however! This started out and is currently a very personal story to me, as I went through a lot of the things that Caroline is going through in this story. I started writing it as a way to get feelings & frustrations about certain things out. This story _will_ get finished, I can promise you that.

"How do you think that your brother's going to be able to help Rebekah?" Damon asked that Friday afternoon. He was killing time with Caroline at her shop, watching her while she was stitching together a dress. Caroline licked her lips before looking up at him.

"Elijah's a private investigator," Caroline answered. "I mean, he has resources. He can help her in ways that other people can't, in ways that _I_ can't. And he'll be really great moral support for her, because she needs someone else to lean on besides just me. He'll talk her into going to therapy and he'll generally be there for her."

"She has you."

"Yeah, I know that, Damon," Caroline answered, looking back down and continuing to sew at the dress. "I know she has me, but have you ever been in a difficult situation and needed someone to lean on?"

"Kinda," Damon answered. "I don't like to talk about it, but my dad...he and I didn't get along. He...well, he liked Stefan a hell of a lot more than me, and I was a really big disappointment to him. He used to say things."

"Oh, Damon," Caroline said softly. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

"It's okay," Damon said. "I don't like to talk about it, and I don't like to think about it. I don't like the looks of pity I get."

"Believe me, Damon, I can totally understand that," Caroline answered. "But can you understand why Rebekah needs the support of her family right now?"

"Yeah," Damon answered. "But what happens when her ex shows up and tries to kill her or something?"

"I don't think that's gonna happen," Caroline answered. "But after Nik knows about her situation, she's going to come and stay with us. I'm going to let her have the spare room until she's ready to live on her own again. After Tyler and I broke up, it took forever for me to be able to live on my own again."

"You don't live on your own," Damon pointed out. Caroline nodded.

"I know," she said, getting out a needle and thread to do some hand-sewing on the dress. "I was never really up to living alone after everything I went through with Tyler. But I've lived in my house since before Nik got out of the service, and he just moved in with me after a few months. But I lived at Mother's house for the longest time. And I refused to live in my house until I got my security system."

"And Lizzie?" Damon asked.

"Well, I got her on my way out of Chicago with Elijah," Caroline answered. "And I know she's trained and everything, but I needed the extra security."

"I'm sorry," Damon said after a moment of silence. "I know I've never said it, and I know you probably don't wanna hear it, but I'm sorry for everything you had to go through. Nobody should have to go through it, especially someone as compassionate as you."

"Thanks, I guess," Caroline said.

"I mean it. You've been through hell in your life, and nobody should have to go through that. I wish I'd been there - I would've never let you go through any of that."

"There wouldn't have been much that you could've done," Caroline answered honestly. "But promise me that you won't feel guilty for not helping. You couldn't have helped me in the way that I needed to be helped. I mean, I was ten when I went into the system, and you were only twelve. Stefan told me that your dad kinda shut down after your mom died, and he couldn't have helped me, either. You guys were dealing with your own shit at the time, and I get that."

"I know," Damon answered.

When the clock struck four, Caroline put the dress away and started getting ready to leave. Esther usually came into the shop on the weekends, but since April was still staying with Caroline, she had told her she'd come into the shop this weekend to be there. Whenever Esther came in, she usually just took orders and didn't really sew, mostly because her arthritis had gotten pretty bad as of lately. But Caroline knew that April could help her fill orders. She was out today because she was going through a depressive day. Caroline understood that completely.

Caroline already had her duffel bag in her car, and Damon followed her home so he could park his car there. They decided to take Caroline's car, and she started the drive to DC.

The drive lasted an hour and a half, and it was almost six o'clock when they arrived at Elijah and Rose's house. Damon wasn't sure what the house would look like, but he was still surprised. The house was rather small. Big enough for a couple who had only been married a few years, he supposed, but he had pictured Elijah living in a bigger place.

"Care!" Rose greeted Caroline at the door, giving her a big hug. "I'm so glad to see you!"

"Are you drunk?" Caroline asked her. Rose just laughed.

"No. I got the best news today," she said. "Hey, Damon," she greeted him, hugging him, too. Damon just froze.

"Don't be like that," Rose said. "I can still be your friend...right?"

Damon nodded, "Yeah. This just seems kinda weird to me."

Rose laughed.

She led them into the spare room, where they were going to be sleeping, and Damon and Caroline put their things in there. They met Elijah in the den.

"Hey guys," Elijah greeted them, closing his laptop. "It's good to see you guys together."

"Yeah, things are better," Caroline said, settling on the loveseat that Elijah kept in there. Damon sat down beside her.

"Would you like a drink, Damon?" Elijah asked. Damon looked over at Caroline nervously.

"You should," Caroline said. "Elijah only gets the best bourbon, and I know how much you like it."

"But what about you?" Damon asked.

Caroline shook her head, "I don't drink."

"Well, duh," Damon answered. "I know that. What I meant was, do you mind if I do?"

Caroline shook her head again, "Nope. As long as you don't drink enough to get drunk, I'm good."

Damon nodded before looking back at Elijah, "Sure, then. I'll take a drink."

Elijah poured Damon a drink, and Rose came in and sat beside Caroline. Elijah handed Damon the drink and then poured one for himself. Caroline looked at Rose, "So, what's your good news?"

Rose looked at Elijah and grinned, "You're gonna be an aunt."

Caroline lit up, "Really? You're gonna have a baby?"

Rose grinned again, "Yeah! Isn't it great?"

"That's really great, Rose," Caroline said, leaning over to hug her sister-in-law. Rose laughed.

"Dinner should be ready soon," she said. "I've got a lasagna in the oven."

"So," Elijah said, once the excitement had died down, "You said this visit was about Rebekah. Did she come with you?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. She wanted me to do this, so I told her I would."

Damon cleared his throat, "She's at my house, with Stefan and Elena."

Elijah nodded as he took a seat in the armchair kiddie corner from the couch, "What happened?"

"Uh, you know that guy she was seeing? Kyle?"

Elijah nodded, so Caroline went into the whole story. She told him about how she helped Rebekah cover up the bruise at their mother's house and told the whole story up to when Rebekah was put in the hospital. She talked about how Rebekah had been staying with the Salvatores for a few weeks,k and they had been watching over her as she healed. When Caroline was finished talking, Elijah was quiet for a few moments, mulling everything over.

"So, she was being abused," Elijah said softly. Caroline nodded.

"Why confide in you, I wonder?" Elijah wondered aloud. Caroline licked her lips nervously.

"I caught her covering up the bruises. I would've told you sooner, but she made me promise not to. I'm sorry I kept it a secret, but she was afraid."

"To tell me? Why?"

Caroline took a deep breath, "She was afraid that you were going to be disappointed in her."

Elijah's features softened, "Really?"

Caroline nodded, "I tried to tell her you wouldn't be, but she hates disappointing anyone, let alone you."

"Why me?"

"Because of the fact that you practically raised her after your father left. She looks at you like a father figure, even though you're her brother. Elijah, we need to do something to make her safe."

"And have you thought about inviting her to move in with you?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, but first we need to explain things to Nik. I'm just worried."

"You're worried that Niklaus is going to do something stupid, like try to kill the bastard, right?" Elijah asked. Caroline nodded silently.

"Don't worry about Niklaus," Elijah said after a moment. "I'll take care of everything."

-x-

They had a really great weekend with Elijah and Rose. Caroline was happy to spend time with her family, and Damon was always happy when Caroline was happy. Caroline spent Saturday afternoon with Rose at the flea market, just looking. While Caroline and Rose were out, Damon thought it was a good idea to connect with Elijah.

"I'm glad that Caroline came to her senses," Elijah said to Damon while the football game was on. Damon looked at him quizzically.

"I mean," Elijah continued, taking a swig of the beer next to him, "I knew Caroline loved you. Hell, everybody sort of knew. But nobody in our family knows Caroline better than Niklaus and I. We could see the signs for a long time."

"Then why'd she run?" Damon asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"When we first got Caroline, she was fourteen. Everybody she had known had hurt her in one way or another. Has she opened up to you about anything that happened in foster care?"

"A little," Damon answered.

"Well, Caroline learned early on that people are nice to her when they want something, but after that...well, it isn't so great. She had been really hurt, and she learned a long time ago that she needs to separate her emotions. She's really great at it, if you haven't noticed already." Damon nodded, so Elijah continued, "Caroline's turned into a great person. She doesn't like to hold grudges, even though she would be justified in doing so. When she realized that she was in love with you, she went with her instincts, and her first instinct was to run."

"I love her, too," Damon said. Elijah nodded.

"I figured as much. You know, I'm really proud of Caroline for giving you a chance. Mother was so worried that Caroline would never try to date again after what happened with Tyler Lockwood. He really hurt her."

"How do you do it?" Damon asked suddenly. Elijah just watched him, so Damon elaborated, "I mean, she's been hurt pretty badly. She's scared most of the time. She's got all those locks on her doors, that dog, that alarm system, and can't even live alone. You must be angry with the people who hurt her the way that they did."

"It does," Elijah admitted. "It angers me very much. Did she tell you that the father of that first foster family had been a pastor?"

Damon was shocked, "No, she didn't."

"Yeah. The things is, he's supposed to be one of the good guys, you know? And if you can't trust a pastor, then who can you trust?"

Damon nodded.

"It took a long time for her to open up to us, and even longer for her to trust us. I think about what she went through sometimes. I wish there was a way I could do something to make the foster care system so much safer than what it is right now. I mean, there are going to be bad people out there, there's nothing you can do about that. But kids need more people they can trust, especially when most of the kids go into the foster care system for abuse in the first place."

Again, Damon nodded.

"I guess I just try not to think about it. I have something in the works, though, when it comes to Tyler."

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

Elijah shook his head, "I'm not sure of anything yet, but if my investigation goes through, you'll be the first to know."

"I thought you closed your last case. That's what Caroline told me."

"That's true," Elijah admitted, "but this is more of a side project. Something I'm doing for my family. You see, Damon," Elijah said, looking at him carefully, "Nobody hurts my family and gets away with it."


	26. Chapter 26

A blood-curdling scream awoke Elijah that night out of a deep sleep. He knew the scream once he heard it - it was Caroline. He'd know her scream anywhere. Quietly, without waking Rose (seriously, that woman could sleep through anything), he grabbed the hunting knife that he kept in his bedside drawer and snuck down to the room that Damon and Caroline were sharing. Damon was outside the room with a nervous look on his face.

"What's wrong? What happened to Caroline?" Elijah asked immediately.

"Oh, good," Damon said, sounding somewhat relieved. "You heard her, too."

"Of course I did," Elijah snapped. "What happened to her, Damon?"

Damon shrugged, "I don't know. We were sleeping. She started mumbling incoherent sentences and then started screaming. She was shaking a little bit, too, but when I tried to wake her up -"

"Oh no," Elijah muttered. He sighed, "Don't try to move her, don't even touch her," he warned. "The nightmares are back."

"Nightmares?"

"Yes, nightmares. Obviously she gets them, because of everything she's been through, but there are times where the night _mares_ turn into night _terrors_ and she has a hard time dealing with that." He handed the knife to Damon. "I can't go in there with that," he said. "That'll scare the crap out of her if I do." Sighing, he opened the door and went inside.

Damon wasn't sure what to think, but he stood outside the room and watched as Elijah interacted with a sleeping Caroline. He hoisted her up a bit so he could slide underneath her back and just held her. Every once in a while he would whisper something into her ear, and he would stroke her hair. He rocked her a little and she finally started to come out it.

"They didn't want me," she was mumbling. Damon heard this, and his heart broke a little. "Nobody wanted me. Nobody could ever want me."

" _We_ want you, Caroline," Elijah said soothingly. "My family wants you - we've always wanted you."

"Am I unlovable, Elijah?" Caroline asked softly.

Elijah shook his head, "No, Caroline, you're probably one of the most lovable people I've ever met."

"It hurts," Caroline said. "This makes me hurt. Was I a bad person or something in a different life? I must've done something incredibly terrible."

"Sometimes bad things happen to good people, Caroline," Elijah said, stroking her hair. "It's not your fault."

Tears were running down Caroline's cheeks as she continued, "It hurts. The dreams, they make me hurt. I was unlovable, unadoptable, and extremely unwanted."

"We want you, Caroline," Elijah said. "My mother and my siblings and I, we've always wanted you. We love you because you're one of us, okay? Don't ever forget that?"

"I just wanted to be wanted," she said, tears streaming down her face. "I wanted to belong."

"I know," Elijah said, and God bless his heart, his tone didn't change and he was telling Caroline how much the Mikaesons wanted her. "I know you did. They took advantage of that, but it's not your fault. None of this is your fault, okay?"

"It feels like it is. It feels like I did something to deserve this."

"You didn't, okay?" Elijah said calmly, motioning for Damon to come into the room. Damon stashed the knife in the bedside table without Caroline noticing. Then Elijah said to her, "Damon's here. He wants you, too, Care."

"Oh God," Caroline groaned. "He must think that I'm such a baby."

"I don't," Damon said. "I love you, remember? I love you, and I'm always gonna be there for you whenever you need it."

Elijah slid out from under Caroline's body and motioned for Damon to take his place. "I'm gonna go back to sleep, okay, Care? I really think that you should talk to Damon about this, though. I mean, he wants to help you. Don't you, Damon?"

"Absolutely," Damon answered, realizing he didn't even have to think it through. "I'm always gonna be here and I'm always gonna help you when you need it."

Elijah nodded towards Damon and grabbed his knife as he left the room. If Caroline found that there the next day, she would freak out. And Elijah understood why. He guessed that if he awoke from a nightmare and found a huge hunting knife in his bedroom that he had no idea how it got there it would freak him out a little bit, too. As he left the room, he heard Damon trying to sooth Caroline to the best of his ability. He knew that Damon was quite new at this, so he wouldn't know exactly the right thing to say, but the thing was that Elijah was happy that Damon was trying to help. He was trying to make it better.

When Elijah got back into bed, putting the knife back where it belonged, he heard Rose's voice, "She okay?"

"I thought you were sleeping," Elijah answered, putting his arms around his wife. "I thought you slept through that."

"Please, Elijah," Rose scoffed. "Who could sleep through that? She was screaming loud enough to wake the dead."

"She's gonna be okay," Elijah said, cuddling up next to Rose. "It's just the nightmares. Part of the PTSD."

"I know that," Rose answered, "but I know that you still worry about her. Hell, I worry about her. Caroline's been through a lot."

"It's true," Elijah said after sighing. "She has. She doesn't deserve to go through this."

"It must make you angry," Rose said.

Elijah thought about his words in his head before nodding. "It makes me extremely angry. The way that they hurt her. I think telling someone that nobody could want them is one of the cruelest things anyone can say to another person, especially when that person is a child."

Rose nodded, "Yeah, I know. I know you worry about her, Elijah, but Damon's gonna take care of her. I know that you and your brothers had your doubts, but I think they're gonna help each other out quite a bit."

-x-

The next morning, Caroline was embarrassed. She got out of bed before Damon even woke up, pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a tank top she borrowed from Rose, telling them she wanted to go on a run. She didn't do it as often as she'd like to, with her busy schedule at the dress shop, but running helped Caroline. It helped her get thoughts straight in her head. She didn't even like listening to her iPod when she was running because she felt like it interfered with her thought process.

Her mind went everywhere while she was running. She liked letting her mind run free - it was something that she couldn't do very often and sometimes it took her places that she didn't want to go, but other times it took her exactly where she needed to go. She remembered everything about the night before, about how Elijah had woken her up and how Damon had held her until they both fell back asleep. She figured that Damon was probably a little freaked out by her waking up screaming, and he had every right to be.

She was broken. All those people in foster care, they broke her. She was hardly recognizable, even to herself. She had changed so much from the eleven year old little girl who had no problems. She remembered a time where she didn't have to worry about anything, but that was a long time ago. She wondered if Damon even remembered that girl. After all, their parents had been pretty close. It's true that after his wife died, Guiseppe kind of went into his own little state, but a lot of Caroline's memories from before foster care were fucked up. She didn't remember much, and the things that she didn't remember were kind of fuzzy. She went to a psychologist once that told her that she was blocking out the bad memories. But the things was, she remembered every horrific detail of foster care, but didn't remember her carefree days as a child. It was beyond frustrating.

Part of her wanted to end things with Damon. Yeah, she did that before because she got scared, but this time, she would be doing it for his own good. He deserved someone whole, someone who wasn't as broken as Caroline was. She had been broken in special ways. And her nightmares were about everything she went through in foster care. She dreamt of the abuse, and she dreamt of Mike Jones.

He was always going to plague her dreams, she had figured that out a long time ago. He had torture her while she was awake, and, after everything, he now tortured her while she slept. There were just so many levels of wrong about what the two of them had done, but the most fucked up thing was that she felt guilty. It had been almost thirteen years since she had gone into foster care, but she wasn't sure that she would ever get over what he did to her. She tried talking to a therapist, but spilling her guts to some stranger just felt weird. She would get better therapy by just talking to one of her friends. But, on the other hand, she didn't want to talk to her friends about this, because she hated it when people found out about the abuse. They treated her differently after they realized just what she had survived. The only person that didn't do that was Elena. She was so thankful for Elena Gilbert, nobody would ever know just how much. Elena never treated her differently; she never treated her like she was fragile or going to break any second. And Caroline loved that about her.

Caroline was embarrassed, however stupid it may sound, though. She was incredibly vulnerable last night, and had shown Damon a side of herself that she wished would stay hidden - at least, to him. She knew that she was dating him and therefore would have to show her vulnerability in front of him eventually, but she knew that she was broken and figured he'd go running eventually. Her track record with guys just...well, it wasn't very good. And if you take out Mike Jones and Tyler Lockwood, it was pretty much nonexistent. No guy ever showed interest in her. She figured she'd die alone.

But then she thought about how Damon treated her. Ever since he found out about her life - the little bit that she had opened up to him about - he didn't treat her any differently. She knew it made him angry - but then again, everything she had been through made the Mikaelsons angry, too. She wasn't sure how to react to that. She was kind of flattered, felt kind of adored about the fact that they were angry on her behalf. She figured that they wouldn't be like that if they didn't love her, so she felt loved, and most of the time she thought it was a twisted view on everything.

When she came back around to Elijah's house, she felt a little more relaxed. A good run was one of the things that made Caroline happy. It had started with cheerleading in high school -that was when she found out she liked to run. She used to it every day, even in the off season, but then, after high school, she just didn't do it anymore.

She entered the house to see Elijah, Rose and Damon sitting at the dining room table. Damon had a bowl of cereal in front of him and Rose and Elijah were drinking coffee. Caroline avoided Damon's gaze as she mumbled something about needing a shower.

When she was finally clean and dressed, she felt like a human. Her muscles were pleasantly sore from the run, but it felt good. She had missed the relaxed feeling she got after she went for a run, and made a mental note to run more often. With April helped out at the shop, she'd be able to take a little more time off. When she made her way downstairs, Damon was sitting at the dining room table alone.

"Where's Rose and Elijah?" she asked him, going into the adjoining kitchen and pouring herself a glass of orange juice.

"Den," Damon answered. "Elijah's working on a super special project and Rose said something about painting."

Rose taught a painting class at the rec center,and painted and sold her stuff on the side. That brought in more money than they even needed, but a lot of it went to charities. Rose had always been an art lover, even going to art school, and Caroline almost forgot how much Rose loved it. She could talk about painting and color combinations and everything all day long if you let her.

Caroline remembered the first time she ever met Rose, and to this day, it stuck out in her mind. After meeting Elijah's little sister, Rose had stuck out her hand and said, "You're beautiful."

"Thank you," Caroline had replied.

"I wanna paint you," Rose said, and Caroline was kind of taken aback. Rose could tell by the confused look on Caroline's face, so she explained, "I'm a painter, and you've got the best complexion. It would be great to paint you."

Of course, Caroline had never taken her up on her offer. She wanted to get more comfortable around Rose first, and they never really did that. But she was starting to warm up to her. Yeah, Elijah and Rose had been married a couple of years, but Caroline was bracing herself for the time when Rose would leave. In her experiences, everyone left. The Mikaelsons had just been the exception. But Rose stuck around, and Caroline knew that she loved Elijah.

What surprised Caroline the most about what Damon had said, however, was the Elijah part. "A super secret project?" she asked, interested. "What is it?"

Damon shrugged, "I don't know. That' s what makes it super secret."

Caroline nodded, sipping at her orange juice.

"Caroline, if you decide that you want to talk about last night -"

" - Which I don't," she said, interrupting him.

"Well, if you do decide you want to, you can always come to me. I'm an excellent listener."

Caroline nodded before taking a seat beside Damon and saying, "I know I should put a little more trust in you. And I trust you not to hurt me, Damon. I haven't trusted anyone enough to sleep in the same room with them since I came to the Mikaelsons. For a long time, I only trusted family. But I trust you."

"Thank you," Damon said. "I feel like that's a compliment."

"Definitely," Caroline answered. "It's definitely a compliment, and I know things between us are a little...tense...but I think if the two of us work together, things will get better. I want to be with you and I love you, but I have issues that other people don't have."

"I know," Damon said, getting up to put his bowl in the dishwasher, "but I love you and I'm not going anywhere. I'm in this for a long haul."

Caroline watched him carefully before asking, "Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything else in my entire life," Damon answered honestly. "I know how I feel about you, and I'm not going anywhere."

-x-

"Do you know anything about Caroline's nightmares?" Damon asked Elena on Monday. He was tending bar at The Grill so Kol could have a night off, and Elena needed a change of scenery so she took her laptop down to The Grill. She had been writing for about an hour when Damon started talking to her.

"I know she had them," Elena answered honestly. She asked Damon for a beer and he popped the top off of the bottle and handed it to her. "She's never really talked about them."

"To anyone?" he asked.

Elena shrugged, "I dunno. I mean, after she comes out of them, I suspect she talks to someone about them to calm herself, but then he just drops the subject. I've never seen her have one, but I know that she does. Esther talked to me about them a long time ago, asked me to talk to Caroline about them, but every time I bring them up, Caroline kind of gets anxious. She tells me that she doesn't want to talk about them, that she's fine. I know that she's not, but you can't exactly make someone talk about something when they don't wanna."

"She had a really bad one when we were at Elijah and Rose's," Damon admitted. "Afterwards, she didn't want to talk about it. She mentioned briefly what it was when Elijah pulled her out of it, but that was that."

"Well, what was it about?"

"Nobody wanted her," Damon said. "She said that nobody wanted her and nobody could want her."

"You have to remember, Damon," Elena said, taking a swig of her beer, "Caroline's been through hell. And before she met the Mikaelsons, everyone told her that she was unwanted. Even her case worker said it to her once or twice. She told her that nobody could want her and that she was unadoptable. Caroline was fourteen when she found the Mikaelsons, and she was broken. The first foster family she had been with broke her. They told her a lot of bullshit that wasn't real, that wasn't true, so she would be like she is now. They didn't expect her to survive. My guess is that they thought she'd kill herself and that would be the end of that."

"But?"

Elena sighed, "But she didn't die. She survived. Caroline's always been a survivor. I mean, as long as I've known her, Caroline's been a survivor, a fighter. She doesn't go down easily."

Damon nodded silently.

"The only thing we can do is remind her that we do want her. You may have to it every day, but she's worth it, Damon."

Yeah, I know," Damon answered. "if I have to remind her every day that I love her and I want to be with her, I will."


	27. Chapter 27

"Can I ask you a question?"

Caroline was sewing up lace on a very fancy dress when Damon had called her. He had mentioned something about wanting to come and see her, but has something or other to do. It didn't bother Caroline any. It was Saturday night and Caroline had nothing better to do than work on the back orders she had. When Damon called Caroline, she thought she could at least talk to him.

"Sure," Caroline said. "What is it?"

"The nightmares -" Damon started, but Caroline shut that down immediately.

"I don't wanna talk about it," Caroline said. "I don't like to talk about it."

"I think you should," Damon pushed. "I know you don't want to, but part of healing is talking, Care. I want you to get better, and I want you to trust that I'm here for you."

Caroline sighed, "I know you are. It's just...I have issues."

"I know that," Damon said, "and I knew that coming in. I know you have issues, and I love you anyway. I know you've been through hell, Care, and I want to be there for you. Please believe that."

Caroline could feel the tears starting to flow. Damn it, she really didn't want to cry right now. Why the hell couldn't she realize that Damon just wanted to help? What the hell was even wrong with her?

"I'm sorry, Damon," Caroline said. "I just feel...I'm scared. I do trust you, in my own way, okay? I feel like I should guard my secrets, that I should just only trust myself - and, y'know, Mother and my siblings - but there's something about you. I just..." Caroline rubbed a hand over her face. She wiped away the few tears that had strayed out of her eyes. "Goddamn it, I'm so fucking confused."

Damon let out the breath that he'd been holding; finally, fucking _finally_ , he was getting somewhere with her. After a few moments, he said, "I'm always gonna be here for you, Caroline. Always."

"Okay," Caroline said. "How about I finish my dress and then I'll come see you? Are you home?"

"Yeah, Matt just took over my shift at The Grill, so I'm headed there. How soon?"

Caroline sighed and looked down; the lace was almost finished. "Give me ten minutes to finish this dress up, and then I'll be on my way. I'll be there as soon as I can, alright? I'm gonna stay the night."

"Sure thing," Damon said, pretty overjoyed that they were finally, fucking _finally_ going to get things out into the open. "I'll be waiting."

Caroline smiled, "Great. I'll see you in a bit, okay?"

"Yeah, I'll see you. I love you, Caroline."

"I love you, too," Caroline said, even though it felt a little weird to say.

She was finished with the lace work in six minutes, going to the house to pack up a few clothes. Klaus was there, playing Halo with Kol. Caroline cocked her head and looked at her brother, "What are you doing here?"

"I live here," Klaus said.

"I wasn't talking to you," Caroline said. "Kol, what are _you_ doing here?"

Kol shrugged, "Playing Halo. Can't you see that?"

Caroline rolled her eyes, "Yeah, duh. It's Saturday night, and I figured you'd be working."

"Damon took over for me tonight," Kol answered, shooting at Klaus on screen. "He said I've been working a lot and he wanted to give me a couple of days off. It's nice to be here."

Caroline nodded, "Sure, I get it." She watched her brothers for a moment before saying, "Well, Damon called earlier. I'm gonna go over there for the night."

Klaus paused the game, and both Klaus and Kol gave her a look like they couldn't believe it. "What's going on?" Klaus asked.

Caroline sighed, "So, I kinda had a nightmare while we were at Elijah and Rose's last weekend - and Damon wanted to know more about it, about why I had it. Y'know, about what it was about and everything. So he called me tonight and I told him I'd go over there overnight and we'd talk about it."

Kol watched Caroline closely, "Does this mean what I think it means?"

Caroline licked her lips nervously, "Yeah, it does. I'm gonna open up to him."

Klaus and Kol looked at each other nervously, and then Klaus grinned, "I'm so fucking glad to hear you say that, Caroline."

Caroline smiled, "Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go pack a bag and I'll be out of your guys' hair soon."

When Caroline went upstairs, Kol looked at Klaus. "Do you think she's really gonna do it?" he asked. "I mean, Mother's been trying to get Caroline to open up to someone other than family for years. Do you think all that pestering is going to finally pay off?"

"I don't think it's because of Mother's 'pestering'," Klaus said, actually using air quotes. "I think it's because Caroline's finally found the one person she knows she can trust."

-x-

Caroline was on the road within ten minutes, after packing up her clothes and hygiene supplies, and was at the boarding house in an hour, opposed to the two hour drive it was supposed to be. Traffic was really light, which surprised Caroline, considering it was eight o'clock on a Saturday night.

Caroline knew she could do this. After all, she had opened up to her family and she had opened up to Elena; she could open up to Damon. She had to. After all, he loved her and she loved him. He wasn't going to run away and he wasn't going to leave. She had to start trusting him a little.

The thing was, after all, that she _did_ trust Damon - at least, in her own special way. She trusted him enough to sleep in the same room with him, which meant that she trusted him not to murder her in her sleep. He had never raised a hand to her, and after all, Elena _did_ trust him. For the first time in her life, Caroline felt safe with a guy - with Damon. When he was around, she didn't feel so...alone.

When she got to the boarding house, Elena and Stefan were in the parlor, sitting on the couch. Caroline went in and said, "Hey, guys."

"Hey, Care," Stefan said. "What're you doing here?"

Caroline sighed, "Well, Damon and I need to talk."

Elena looked at Caroline nervously, "You're not gonna break up with him...are you?"

Caroline smiled, "I have absolutely no intention of doing that. I just...I wanna clear the air about some stuff."

Elena nodded, looking pretty deep in thought, and Stefan said, "He's in his bedroom."

"Thanks, Stef," Caroline said. "I'll see you guys later."

They nodded, but didn't say anything. Caroline went up the stairs and into Damon's bedroom. He was lying back on his bed, flipping through the channels on his TV. When he saw Caroline enter, he seemed to perk up a little.

"Hey, Care," he said. She set down her duffel bag and went over to sit down on his bed beside him. Damon flipped off the TV and smiled at her.

"Hey, Damon," she said. "So...I think we should talk."

"You know, those are usually the words I hate to hear, but I'm kinda grateful to hear you say them," Damon laughed. "I want you to know that you can tell me absolutely anything. I'm not gonna hurt you. I promise. I want you to feel comfortable enough to tell me anything you're thinking."

Caroline nodded, "Okay."

She took a deep breath and interlaced her fingers with Damon's. "When I was a kid and in foster care, I heard so many times that I wasn't wanted. My case worker said it more than once, and the foster family I was with used to say it all the time. It's a terrible feeling when someone tells you that nobody wants you. I...I've spent most of my life trying to fit in, trying to prove to people that I am worth wanting, that I am a good person. All I wanted was to be wanted. For a long time, I wanted nothing more than to be adopted. When a person, or persons, adopt a kid, it's because they want them, because they _chose_ them. I wanted to be chosen so badly. For a long time, it was practically my only ambition."

Damon just nodded as Caroline took a breath.

"I was only in two different foster homes. There were the Joneses and then there were the Mikaelsons. The thing was that, even though I was only in two different homes, I am pretty emotionally scarred from the stuff that happened in the first foster home. And along with the abuse, they were pretty emotionally abusive to me as well. They said things and they were pretty nasty about everything. But they didn't want me, Damon, because I wasn't perfect. And to this day, I have these nightmares where I'm back in foster care again, back at the Jones' house, and they're telling me I'm not wanted. They're telling me that nobody could ever want me, that I'm not perfect." She looked Damon directly in the eyes and said, "They tell me that you couldn't want someone as broken as I am."

Damon licked his lips before saying, "Care, none of that is true. I think it's absolute bullshit. I don't want a perfect girlfriend. And do you know why?"

Caroline shook her head silently, waiting for Damon to continue.

"Because," Damon said, looking deeply into her eyes, "I would feel inadequate next to you. If you were perfect, I would feel the pressure to be perfect, too. I love you, imperfections and all."

"Really?" Caroline asked, her voice small.

"Come here," Damon said, patting the space right next to him. Caroline slid up and sat with her back against the headboard. Damon interlaced their fingers and said, "I love you just the way you are. Okay?"

"Okay," Caroline whispered.

"I don't want you to be embarrassed about it, either, Care," Damon said. "I want you to know that I love you, everything about you, and -"

"Please don't say that," Caroline laughed. "I don't care what those lovesick fools say; nobody loves absolutely _everything_ about their significant other, okay?"

Damon laughed, "Okay, okay, I gotcha. Sorry I said that, and yes, you've got some habits that bother me. I'm sure that I've got some that drive you crazy, too."

"You do," Caroline said.

"Are we good then, Care?" Damon asked.

Caroline smiled and nodded, "Yeah, we're good. We're really good."

"Can I kiss you, then?" he asked her. Caroline nodded.

"Come here so I can kiss you," Damon said, and Caroline straddled his lap. She covered his lips with hers and right away, remembered how much she loved kissing Damon. They hadn't had a proper make-out session in a really long time, with all the drama she'd been going through, and had forgotten how much she loved kissing him. His lips were so soft, so warm, so fucking inviting. As they kissed, Damon's hands roamed her body, massaging her sides and landed on her hips. The kiss turned dirty, with Damon kissing her hungrily, devouring her mouth with his.

Caroline broke the kiss long enough to reach around and pull her t-shirt up and off her body. As she sat there in her bra and jeans, on Damon's lap, Damon's hands ran back up her body, with him massaging her breasts. Caroline leaned in to kiss him one more time.

"Please tell me you've got condoms," Caroline said, and Damon nodded.

"I want you to make love with me, Damon," Caroline almost whispered, and Damon groaned.

"God, it's so goddamned sexy to hear you say that, Care," Damon said. Caroline grinned, getting up to rid her of her clothes.

Damon got rid of his, too, and Caroline got into his nightstand drawer where she knew he kept his condoms. She got one out and kissed him again, filthily. She tore open the foil packet and said, "I'm sorry, but I can't wait. I need to feel you inside me."

Damon nodded. "It's fine," he said. "In fact, it sounds perfect."

She rolled the condom on him and sank down on him ever so slowly. It'd been a while since they'd been intimate like this, so she took a little extra time, feeling herself stretching to accommodate him. She groaned once she was fully seated; he felt even more amazing than she remembered.

She attacked his lips with hers as she started to slowly move. When she broke the kiss a moment later, she moved down to nip and suck at his neck, and he groaned.

"God, Care," Damon said, clearly lost in the moment. "You feel so fucking good.

Caroline smiled a little at that, "You feel good, too. Really fucking good, as a matter of fact."

She started moving faster and was grateful that Damon was leaving it all up to her how fast she was moving. She attacked his mouth with hers, and he groaned out a moment later, "Come on, Care. I know you're close. I want you to come, baby. Come for me."

His talking pushed her over the edge, and she came around him, with him coming a moment later. As he filled the condom, he groaned low, "Shit, Care, so fucking good."

She got up off him so he could rid himself of the condom and she lay down in his bed next to him. As they cuddled, enjoying the afterglow, Caroline said, "This is a little different, a little...strange, I guess, but I wouldn't give it up for anything. I wouldn't give _you_ up for anything, Damon. Please believe me."

Damon smiled a little and said, "I know, Caroline. And believe me, I'm so fucking grateful for that."


	28. Chapter 28

Caroline _hated_ Halloween. It was the one time of the year that everybody loved, everybody celebrated, but Caroline wished it would disappear from the calendar all together.

Halloween was the night that took her parents. They were on their way home from a costume party when they lost control of their car. So not only was it Halloween, but it was also the anniversary of Caroline's parent's deaths. Even when she was younger, when everybody else celebrated the holiday, Caroline would have nothing to do with it. Esther's kids had a tradition of watching scary movies and filling up on Halloween candy, but Caroline didn't want anything to do with _that_ , either.

This year was no different. Rose, Elijah, Finn, Sage, Klaus and Rebekah were all gathered at Caroline and Klaus' house, ready to fill up on their candy and their horror movies. Caroline stayed in her sewing room. When Klaus heard a knock at the door, he yelled upstairs, "Caroline! It's for you!"

Caroline came down the stairs somewhat agitated. She didn't want to be here, but refused to go out there where everybody else was partying. Instead, she just snapped, "How the fuck do you know it's for me when you didn't even open the door?"

When she opened it, however, she saw Damon on the other side. He was carrying a duffel bag and he said, "Hi."

Caroline was confused.

"Can I come in?" Damon asked. Caroline nodded and stepped aside for him.

"What are you doing here?" Caroline asked Damon. "Not that I'm unhappy to see you. Seeing you is always a welcomed surprise." Caroline sighed, trying to stop herself from rambling. "Anyway, what are you doing here, Damon?"

"I heard it was a bad night for you," Damon said. "So I thought I'd come over. Is it okay if I stay the night?"

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, sure. My siblings are watching horror movies, if you're interested."

"What are you gonna do?"

"I'm doing some work," Caroline answered. "I've only got a few more back orders to finish and then I'm done with them."

Damon nodded, "Okay. You mind if I keep you company?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. Come on up, if you want."

Damon nodded. While Caroline went up to the sewing room right away, Damon stopped by Caroline's bedroom to put his duffel bag in there. When he met her back at the sewing room, he sat down at the table in there, where Caroline was measure material.

"So I'm surprised to see you here," Caroline was saying. "I mean, it's Halloween. Elena told me once that you host a huge party at the Grill on Halloween."

"Usually, I do. But Matt took over tonight, and Kol offered to work. Actually, Kol seemed to want me here, with you."

Caroline nodded.

"So, you hate Halloween, then?" Damon asked, not really sure how to approach the subject. He figured the Band-Aid effect was the best; just get it out in the open and over with.

"I don't know how much you remember about the night my parents died, "Caroline said, "but they were on their way back from a Halloween party. If it hadn't been Halloween, they would've never been at that party, and they would never have crashed."

"You can't think like that," Damon said, watching Caroline intently. "It would've happened, no matter what, if it was time."

"God, you sound just like a therapist," Caroline muttered. Damon chuckled.

"I kinda take that as a compliment," Damon answered. "Besides, is it untrue?"

Caroline shook her head, "No. You're probably right. Just...just let me hate Halloween, okay? It's better for my well-being this way."

Damon nodded, "Okay, sure."

As Caroline worked on the dress she was making, she and Damon chatted. Finally, after a few beats of silence, Damon said, "So, if I was, uh, thinking of moving to Richmond, what would you say?"

Caroline was taken a little by surprise, "What?"

Damon shrugged, "I was thinking about it. That way I'm closer to you, and there's even a building downtown that's for sale. I could buy it and open up a club or a bar like The Grill."

Caroline watched Damon carefully, "I, uh...I guess I'm not really sure. I mean, yeah, it'd be great to have you so close, but it's only been, like, what? Four months?"

"I'm not asking to move in," Damon said. "I'd find my own space for now. And if things get more serious between the two of us, we could talk about moving in together later on. I was actually just wondering what you would say."

"It'd be great to have you closer," Caroline repeated. "It'd make things a lot easier. But what about the Salvatore foundation?"

"I'm not moving out of the country," Damon said. "And even if I was, we've got a private plane. Stefan could be here within a few hours."

Caroline bit on her lower lip before she said, "Whatever you wanna do, Damon. I'm not going to tell you what to do."

Damon nodded, "You want to go apartment hunting with me tomorrow?"

Tomorrow was Saturday. Caroline no longer worked Saturdays - April took over that when she had moved to Richmond. She had recently gotten her own apartment, so she wasn't living on Caroline's couch anymore, but Caroline still talked to April a lot. After a moment of thinking it over, Caroline nodded, "Sure. What are you looking for?"

"I don't need much," Damon answered. "Stef and I lived in the boarding house because it's been in the family a long fucking time. I have an idea that after he and Elena get married, _they're_ gonna live there. I don't think that Stefan will ever truly give that place up."

"And The Grill?" Caroline asked.

"Matt's gonna manage it for me. I asked Kol to help out, but he prefers to do the behind the scenes stuff - he's a great bartender, and that's all he wants to be."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, Kol's always been like that. He doesn't like to be upfront, and, like, all eyes on him. We've always left that to Rebekah."

"Speaking of Rebekah," Damon said, "I noticed she was here. Does that mean she's in the clear now?"

Caroline nodded, "I've got a spare bedroom that she's going to move into, and Elijah got her ex arrested with the proof the hospital took of the abuse. Bekah's gonna press charges, which surprised all of us, but Mother isn't exactly happy with us right now."

"Who?"

"Me and Rebekah," Caroline answered, cutting a piece of material. "I knew that Rebekah was in danger, and Bekah didn't tell anyone besides me. With everything that's happened with me, and the way that Tyler almost killed me once, Mother gets pretty upset whenever we keep things like that to ourselves. I don't really know what to tell her, you know? I understand why Bekah kept it a secret - I do. She was embarrassed, and I get that. It's a terrible feeling when you've been beaten bloody and know that you might've been able to avoid it."

"It's not her fault," Damon said. "I know she thinks it is."

Caroline shrugged. "An abused woman's mind is a weird place to be," she said finally. "Like, with everything that happened with me and Tyler, logically, I know that none of it is my fault. I _know_ that, okay? But the thing is, I feel like it's my fault anyway. Like all the bullshit he used to tell m e kinda sunk in. A lot of the time, I feel just as worthless as everyone used to tell me I was."

"But you're not," Damon said softly. "Caroline, you're probably one of the strongest people I've ever known in my entire fucking life."

Caroline smiled, "Thank you, I guess. Would you believe it if I said I don't feel brave, and I didn't feel brave at the time, either? Most of the time I don't feel strong - I feel fucking weak. Bravery is just doing what needs to be done, even if it scares you."

"And it scared you?" Damon asked. Caroline nodded.

"It scared the shit out of me," Caroline answered honestly. "I was a teenager, for Christ sake. I was forced to grow up way too fast and I know I missed out on some key experiences. I'm super thankful for Mother and every one of my siblings - they made sure I got prom, they made sure I got a high school open house, they made sure my life was as normal as it could've possibly been, even though I had so many different things working against me at the time. And you top everything off with Mike Jones and Tyler Lockwood, and yeah, I've been through utter and complete hell, but sometimes I just sit back and really thank God for my family."

Damon nodded, but didn't say anything.

"I get jealous of Bonnie and Elena sometimes," Caroline said honestly. "I've never told anybody that. Most of the time, I'm pretty sure that Elena knows though, because it seems to me that Elena Gilbert seems to know everything when it comes to me."

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Elena was adopted," Caroline said. "And yeah, she found out after her parents died, but they loved her. They loved her enough to make her a part of their family and she had pretty much anything anyone could ever ask for. She's got Jeremy, who, even after he found out that his sister was adopted, he accepted her anyway. Jeremy and Elena Gilbert are as close as blood brother and sister without being such. But the thing I'm the most jealous about them is that they have normal experiences. I didn't date in high school. No guy was interested. I had a few friends, but none that really got me. And when I joined the cheerleading squad when I turned fifteen, I felt so out of place there. They worried about going out on dates, and when their parents were going to let them borrow the car. I worried about when my nightmares were going to come back and if my cutting was actually going to kill me this time."

Damon watched her carefully, but again, didn't say anything.

"My problems were too complex for anyone to understand," Caroline tried to explain. "No fifteen-year-old could understand what I was going through. Because of my history of such severe abuse, I didn't understand what it was like to have a normal life. But people who had a normal upbringing couldn't understand what it was like to have nothing but a garbage bag full of clothes they carried from house to house."

"I guess that is kind of deep for a high schooler to really understand," Damon answered. "I mean, it's becoming more and more common with people saying they were abused at least a little. A lot of people were abused, whether it was domestic, or as a child, or whatever, but you were severely abused, Care. It's hard for anyone who has at least a little bit of a good life to really understand the concept of being as abused as I know you were. I'm sure you're not the only one who's gone through this."

Caroline nodded, "Yeah, I know." She sighed, starting to stitch the lace onto the bottom of the lavender dress she was working on, "I'm sorry to dump all this on you. I've probably over explained my situation numerous times, and I really shouldn't do that."

"I don't mind. I'm actually pretty happy that you feel comfortable enough around me to talk about it."

"I'm an open book, like I told you all those months before. I went through what I went through, and I don't see the point of hiding it."

-x-

It was almost right away that Damon found the apartment he wanted. It was a really nice loft apartment that he had found not even two hours after they started looking. Knowing that was what he wanted made everything so much easier. Around noon, Damon and Caroline had decided to stop into Maria’s to get a bite to eat.

“So is this cemented in?” Caroline asked while they were waiting for their meals. “I mean, you’re really doing this?”

Damon nodded, “Yeah, I really am. Unless…do you not want me to?”

Caroline shook her head, “That’s not it at all. I just…nobody’s ever uprooted their life for me before, Damon.”

“Well, you’re worth it,” Damon answered. “And besides that, a change will be good for me. Being closer to you is just a bonus.”

“You’re too sweet,” Caroline said, digging into her spinach manicotti when it came. It felt like she hadn’t eaten in a year.

“Hungry?” Damon asked her, laughing. Caroline just stuck her tongue out at him.

“So, you wanna go out tonight?” Damon asked, taking a bite of his lasagna while waiting for an answer from Caroline. He swallowed before continuing, “I mean, I’m new to town. I don’t really know the sights, and you’ve lived here a while. What’s fun around here?”

Caroline shrugged, “I don’t really know. Nik might, because he does go out on occasion. I spend most of my time either at the dress shop or at home.”  
Damon nodded.

It was after two when Caroline and Damon went back to her house. Klaus was on the couch, watching TV, with April not that far from him. Caroline watched them carefully before saying, “What’s going on?”

April jumped up like she was a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. She looked back at Caroline.

“Hey, Care Bear,” she said, just watching Caroline for a moment. “Where’ve you been?”

“Apartment hunting,” Damon said from behind Caroline. That made Klaus look at his sister.

“Are you moving?” he asked her.

Caroline laughed, “No. This is my house, remember? Damon wants to move to Richmond, so we were looking for a place for him.”

“And you found one?” Klaus asked.

Damon nodded, “Yeah. I got a place. It was fairly cheap, too, since I don’t need much.”

Klaus looked at Damon skeptically.

“Don’t give him the evil eye, Nik,” Caroline said, watching her brother carefully. “He wanted to move to Richmond and wanted his own space. He and I have only been dating for four months, but he wanted to be closer. Besides, you know that building that’s for sale, over by where Game Stop used to be?” Caroline waited for Klaus to nod before saying, “He’s thinking about buying it.”

“Really?” Klaus seemed interested. “And what are you gonna do with it?”

Damon shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe make another bar like The Grill. I don’t really know what I want to do with it right now, but I’ll think of something.”  
Klaus nodded.

“So,” Caroline said, going back to the original subject, “What’s going on here?”

Klaus shrugged, “We’re watching TV. Is that a crime?”

Caroline shook her head, but then looked at April and then Klaus. “If something is going on between the two of you, I don’t really care,” she said softly. “You both deserve to be happy.” And with that, she turned and went up the stairs, Damon on her heels.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr [here](http://gabby227.tumblr.com/) and on LiveJournal [here](http://gabby227.livejournal.com/).


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